Danny Phantom last of us
by jim89
Summary: FP AF two worlds collide in the past comes back to bite Danny Fenton as he gets an unlikely mission to escort a young girl across Selvage United States. Special thanks to nothing you can prove as a beta and cowriting of this.
1. Chapter 1

Danny Phantom last of us

FP AF two worlds collide in the past comes back to bite Danny Fenton as he gets an unlikely mission to escort a young girl across Selvage United States. Special thanks to nothing you can prove a beta and cowriting of this.

Prologue

What Was

Amity Park. Several years ago

"Enough Danny, we're over. I don't care what you say, you slept with and knocked up that witch. You know what she's done to me and others. Did you ever love me?"

Sam tossed the engagement ring at Danny.

"Sam you been so moody and angry lately you told me to go away and not talk to you, I thought we had broken up. I went to one party and had too much to drink. Paulina isn't like that."

She froze up her hands in nuclear frustration, she was used to Danny being the King of clueless, but this was epic even for him.

"Danny what will it take for you to accept that Paulina is scum? The years of her tormenting me, the fact she almost killed. Valerie had her impaled. Like, with what she did to Star. "

"She was cleared of battering court. It is unfortunate that Star was kidnapped, tortured and violated and ended up with child and disowned, but that's not on Paulina."

She hugged herself as she leant against the wall, the frustration and disbelief filling her, a permanent scowl on her face.

"How blind are you? We had a witnesses, DNA. Even the damn confession was broadcasted on national TV, she really floated and bribe her way out even though they have evidence of that it. We still forgave her. What more does she have to do to be found guilty of anything in this town. How many bodies or human wreckage must she leave behind?" Sam screamed at Danny violently.

"Yeah, right. Sam, like your new harlot Sam showing off your great body. A melon chest. Well the plastic surgeons must've done a great job giving you those double D's and those curves."

Danny stood back smugly at his veiled insult, knowing that Sam used to be very insecure about her body.

"Your misguided sense of forgiveness is stupid, Danny given you seen us both naked. You know I'm all natural."

Sam showed her chest to Danny.

Danny looked shell-shocked. One of his veiled insult didn't even phase Sam at all, did he really know her anymore? He tried to ignore the obvious arousal Sam's assets on display does to him. Damn Danny thinks yes she's all-natural.

"But Sam…"

Before he could continue, Sam curb stomped away his attempts to find words and went on the offensive.

"No buts Danny, what about what she did to me? Nearly killing me and half our school body. I had to have three plastic surgery to fix the damage she did to my face and my arm. I got lucky with the total damage from that attack. Did you bother checking up on me? Thankfully, I can still have children. Not like a few other girls got hurt that day. Thanks to her."

Sam tossed a few photos of a few girls, the other girls with her during the school attack Crystal, Faith, Jessica. That were not so lucky.

Sam moved back her long hair on the left side of her face to reveal long scar, going from above her left eye down the right side of her cheek she holds up a matching scar across her left arm.

"Sam…"

It took a few minutes for Danny to recover from his shock. Sam pressed on.

"What about what she did to your sister and better yet what about Danielle? She messed up my adoption of her years ago and since then she's MIA. well, what will it take for you to hate Paulina? I understand your conditions you might need more than I can offer. If you were honest with me and told me you had to sleep with another woman any other woman, but her."

Danny recalled. He couldn't believe Sam mentioned his sister. Jazz and Danielle, that was a low blow.

"Like who's really the jealous, manipulative bitch? Who stops any other girl getting near me? You can't even name one you be comfortable with me being with."

Danny's mind is racing. He knows he's speaking out of anger, but he just can't control himself. Sam's reply is only so super quiet, and always haunts Danny.

"I can name three, Star, Valerie, and Jazz. If I walked in you and Jazz I gladly take notes, maybe even join you. Given what happened with star one of the few people we have the support her. I put on a cheerleader outfit and cheer you on. And hell, it was Valerie I probably saddling beside you would make it a three-way. On my last birthday. I was half a drink and 2 seconds away from hooking up with two of the three I mentioned. I also know I gladly swing the other way for any of them. Given how much they mean to me. But again, you still act like I'm that scared, insecure 14-year-old girl still felt overwhelmed by everything."

Danny's response of what he does next, which was the worst in his anger he slams Sam.

"Like the guerrilla incident or the changing of the menu or wishing we never knew each other with the damn ghost portal or…"

Before Danny could finish, Sam always slaps him and a moment later her angry response always haunts him.

"I admit I made my share of mistakes, especially after the ghost portal. I had a friend and later my fiancée means you forgive me. You gave me your word. That doesn't mean you later have to bust my ass to make things right, Danny, then you throw it in my face. When you feel like it you hypocrite jerk, the hell with you. Danny I'm leaving and I hope I never see that lying kinky two-faced, manipulative asshole face of yours ever again."

He never remembers the end of Sam's curse for the next hit across the face that knocked him on his ass.

The last thing he remembers is seeing her silhouette exit out the door. He remembers how beautiful she looked. That was the last time he ever saw her. Worst was the look of pain on Sam's face. Danny was paralyzed where he stood barely noticing the other voice behind them.

"I win"

Paulina's voice comes out from the bathroom. She exits the bathroom, wearing nothing but Danny's shirt and comes up behind him, wrapping her arms around him.

Danny rolls over and realized the worst of the nightmare is over.

Unfortunately for Danny like most of his nightmares, this is just the first act. The still more to come.

Years later, the house. Danny Fenton Townsville Texas

"I told you I think that contract, we have a deal. Seem to get those guys over there today. Pouring the concrete. I don't care of if the Fitzpatrick's get it done, a deals a deal" Danny hangs up the phone in anger. Then collapses back onto to the couch.

"Hey daddy."

Danny gets a brief look at his daughter and approves of what she's wearing, for once. Some kind of tank top. Some weird Asian symbol on it and the pyjama bottoms. Short blonde hair with piercing blue eyes. With small earrings. Which seemed less invasive compared to her strong-arming Danny for her to get body piercing. Wait, is that a hint of lipstick.

She's a preteen, she's too young for that she's barely... Danny mind go off on a tangent when Sarah shifting catches attention.

"Sarah honey, why are you still doing up you should be asleep right now, don't tell me Jennifer's over again doing the same sleepover naked striptease again. She really has to stop, or there is something want tell me honey"

"Dad, you gropes, she's my best friend she just has issues at night. That's all. Anyways, happy birthday."

Sarah gives Danny a nice little box, which Danny opens seeing a nice watch, which he puts on.

"Sarah honey, this is really nice. How did you afford this?"

"Drugs, I sold hard-core drugs and pictures and a video of Jennifer's to the boys at school and surprisingly a lot of girls."

To Danny's discomfort Sarah made hand motions and gestures, of Jennifer's movements, the image Sarah best friend performing sleep striptease and pole dancing. God I hope Sarah did not use any of the near naked shots. Damn the mind of the last time Tucker dragged him to a club. As a realization of what Danny was thinking his face distorted various forms of pain.

Sarah stops briefly and chooses hit Danny in the ribs, totally enjoy her father's discomfort.

The sound of Sarah giggling and laughter filled the air.

"That's good. It might as well start helping with the mortgage, and don't take any more pictures of Jennifer without her permission and she gets a cut of course."

"You know by now daddy, Jennifer's game for anything. I swear she's a natural performer."

"Just do not take advantage of her, you know why? She trusts you and if you suggest something, anything, she'll pretty much do whatever, because she believes in you. But seriously, how did you get the money?"

Sarah shrugs nonchalantly, she really doesn't want to mention drugs and amateur near porn of her best friend just feels better than what she actually did. Shifting awkwardly like a guilty child with her hand caught in the cookie jar, Sarah finally answered.

"I sold some stuff, mostly to people at school. And some people in the neighborhood. "

"What exactly did you sell? Sarah."

"Those Packets I've been getting from Paris, this clothing, makeup, intimate apparel, etc. Just say selling it other girls were certain people with interests I made some good money."

Danny's face darkens slightly. He prefers possible amateur porn and drugs compared to his daughter selling imported racy lingerie, imported fashion clothing from Paris and high-priced makeup. The last shipment of a handful of makeup couple unmentionables in a few outfits which Danny estimated a cost made his car and mortgage payments for the month.

"Which reminds me, you have another package from your mother with instructions, you plan selling that to or something else? I know it's a sore subject. I know your last visit did noyo go well. I still remember being called from the bus station at the middle of the night to come get you. I can't believe you hitchhiked close to 30 miles to get to the station just to get away from her you know she's ..."

Sarah's relaxed posture quickly moves from comfortable to agitated with the edge. She's ready for a fight.

"She's been AWOL my whole life, and now she wants me to be her perfect trophy daughter. No way, no how. Especially with those damn instructions. She given to me. I've become the perfect slutty girl at school and popular, no thanks. Burn any Packets that come from that bitch for all I care."

The look of hurt all over Danny's face, he wanted Sarah to have a relationship with her mother and suspected the best of Paulina. But in the back of his mind, he realized, Jazz, Valerie and especially Sam were right. For some reason Danny could never accept that Paulina was full of beauty, but completely evil and self-serving. In retrospect Danny realizes Paulina has cost him most of the important people in his life, his sister, his ally, his best friend and fiancé and worse, Danielle. Making sure Sarah being only child.

Sometime later

Ring ring

"Hello."

"Danny, Jennifer's there, right? Her dad's here is in a mood again and he's been drinking. Don't worry just something bad going on at work. Just tell me she's safe with you."

Danny heard a smash and the screech before the line went dead. They sat up in bed any and could hear the screams in the distance from his nearest neighbour, Jennifer's parents.

Before Danny headed out, he quickly checked she was with his daughter. He was happy to see Sarah back to sleep with Jennifer squeezing her applicable oversized teddy bear. Her long blue hair with pink stripes visible poking out of the blanket. Then he shook his head with disdain, realizing she stripped again while sleeping.

At least Danny didn't get another Birdseye view of her other piercings below the neck. Damn he knows full well he swept the take Jennifer probably Sarah clothing shopping soon. Given how fast Jennifer is developing that will probably lead to awkward conversation. Probably birds and bees or worse another scream from his thoughts and realize he had to get in gear.

The problem was that Cletus, Jennifer's father, is a known drunkard with a bad temper and can't hold down a job because of it. It is also widely known he likes to beat his wife and daughters. Apparently. That's why his oldest daughter ran off years ago as soon as she turned 14. To be honest, he is more concerned with making sure Jennifer was safe, and to hell with her parents.

Given that she's still asleep in her daughter's room Danny felt like it's mission accomplished and was ready to go back to bed, until he heard the crash and the sound of a gunshot.

"It's one thing for Cletus to punch and kick, but when he bringing guns into it. Someone is going end up dead."

Danny quickly followed the invitation of the phone call marched over to the side door to his nearest neighbor and banged on the door.

As the door opened, he saw Rita on the ground covered in blood and Cletus stomping around, waving his fist.

Danny had enough. He tackled Cletus and proceeded to punch the living crap out of him. Eventually finishing by picking them up and smashing him headfirst into the china cabinet, knocking his ass out.

Behind Danny, Rita arose, twisted at unnatural angle, her eyes appearing inhuman. The large gash with some kind of growth extending from it.

Danny turned and saw her running towards him, her teeth chattering. Danny fell back to trip overturned chair and landing on his back and she stormed towards him.

Just as she was about to bite down on Danny's neck, a shot rang out and Rita fell back. Danny looked up and saw Jeff, Cletus' talented brother, who was a total opposite of him in every way. Jeff turned and put two bullets in Cletus as well.

"What's going on?"

Jeff was panting heavily from the struggle, and only they look like you could stand. His clothes were a mess. He was covered in grime and blood. Danny just got a little shocked by the turn of events. Not realizing that Jennifer is now an orphan.

"Danny listen, take the girls and get out of here, you heard about that pandemic thing. It's here, get them somewhere safe. I'm counting on you. You need to protect Sarah and my niece Jennifer, and no, I can't go with you. You see, I'm already infected. All I can do is try to keep others off you. Go dammit!"

Danny noticed the large cut on Jeff side.

Not asking twice, Danny quickly got up, not noticing the blood on his shirt and ran outside door.

Danny's house. Moments after Danny left to check on the neighbors

Smack

Sarah's eyes open abruptly as she hits the hard wooden floor, her room slowly materialising in the darkness. A dull ache begins to creep up her thigh from the impact of her falling from her bed. She is probably going to get a bruise. She looks around in confusion, wondering why she has fallen. The reason for her fall soon becomes apparent.

She feels something warm pressed against her back and arms clutching her. She turns her head slightly to see that her best friend, Jennifer, is squeezing her like an over-sized teddy bear.

Jennifer is always so touchy feely. As this thought crosses Sarah's mind, Jennifer's hands begin squeezing the wrong place in the wrong way. A quick glance over at her best friend confirms what Sarah already knows, Jennifer has stripped again.

Sarah sighs and frowns at her best friend's issue. She has long since accepted the fact that she had to be there for Jennifer, regardless of how awkward it can get sometimes.

"Man Jennifer, this must be the third time I've had to redress your ass tonight. Why does this happen when you go to sleep? You can't keep yourself covered up. That's what got us kicked out of summer camp."

Disturbingly, Sarah pulls on the clothing on to her best friend and notices the birthday card she forgot to give her dad.

"Crap"

Figuring she's already up, she might as well answer nature's call. She exits the bathroom. Moments later, she notices that her dad's door slightly ajar. She enters in and realizes he is not there.

"Where are you dad?"

Sarah looks over and notices a few pictures on the mantle, she always tried to ask dad who they are. Him and the redheaded girl. In the picture there is an African-American girl and the goth girl.

The one that peaks her interest the most is the goth girl, another dark-haired girl that looks about her age.

Walking over to the photo of the two dark-haired girls, she looks at them.

"Sam and Danielle, Uncle Tucker told me once. In a perfect world they would have been my mom and my sister, I would've known more, if Danny hadn't shut him down."

Sarah frowns at the large photo on the right wall from other.

TV news. This is Stacy Lane downtown as the roadblocks the put up this is seen to see information on the latest outbreak were trying to. Amy man Lady get back isn't it's dangerous. We have a gas leak the frantic reporter mentions.

The TV goes silent after she hears the explosion, Sarah looks up and notices the motion that the distance a large fireball.

"Something's going on. I gotta find dad?"

Ring ring

"That's his cell."

Sarah looks around and realizes and here she quickly travelled downstairs. Looking around for a few minutes, she finds a cell phone in her dad's study.

"Hello."

"Sarah honey, it's your uncle Tucker. It's bad. Where's your dad?"

"He's not here, Tucker. I don't know where he is."

"Okay, this is bad, Sarah it's important to stay inside. Don't let anyone in. I'm on my way. Oh if Jennifer is with you, get her and yourself ready. We have to leave as soon as I get there."

"Remember"

The line goes dead on Sarah, she looks up as Danny comes from the outside glass sliding door and quickly pulls a steel box from his desk and unlocks it pulls the gun. Sarah tries frantically getting to get her dad's attention.

Instinctively, she starts moving towards the glass doors leading out to the backyard. The last second before she reaches the doors, she is grabbed and pulled back.

"Don't." Jennifer quickly squawks pulling Sarah out of the study and across the living room. She is in her panties and tank top, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Sarah turns so that she sees the study window give way. One of the neighbors comes rushing in. Danny brings up the gun and shoots the neighbor dead.

The next few minutes are blur. Jennifer pulls Sarah into Tucker's car, slamming the back door with Danny getting in shotgun.

It's hard to focus the different noises as Jennifer start shovelling into a pair of pants and slapping on her boots. She quickly tells Sarah to put on a jacket.

Serious confusion wonders over Sarah's face. How had her friend had enough time to grab anything on the way out? She is not willing to question it.

"Dad, what about those people what's going on, is that man on fire?' Panic gripping Sarah's voice is a cut into town.

"I got this focus on the road" Tucker winces.

Jennifer quickly responds. She quickly grabs Sarah and kisses her replacing one panic with another, but at least the new one can be control.

Crash

The rest is a blur with Jennifer pulling Sarah part of the truck, Sarah mentioned her leg is hurt. Danny's trying to carry her. The infected tries to attack them. Jennifer quickly smashed him in the face with a tire iron.

The makeshift group quickly run down the alley, Tucker and Jennifer leading. Some frantically trying to find ways for the group to continue.

Jennifer turns around the corner and notices the door torn the buildings and frantically tries it.

The loud noise you hear somebody debris that was the fire escape crashing down the alley apparently right where Jennifer was. They can't see her. They hope she wasn't crushed.

"We can't do anything for her. She got crushed. We got to go."

"She could be on the other side. We can't just leave her?"

"We have no choice. Run."

Looking across the alley. The makeshift group only see the mangled wreck of the fire escape and other things that fell from the roof, totally cutting off the left half of the alley. Leaving only the right. They cannot see Jennifer anywhere.

Danny can feel the panic rising in Sarah as she buries her head against his chest, not willing to accept the fact that her best friend might have just died.

"Jennifer if you can hear me meet us at the snake tree up on Route 67, remember those disaster drills we did in the past. Good luck" Danny screams as he runs down the alley.

Danny's heart sink in the chest realizing the chance of seeing Jennifer again is small. But he has to stay strong for Sarah and Tucker.

The curling sound of the infected I heard behind them.

The last moments always play out in slow motion, the cutting across the bar, Tucker covering them. Danny living up the Hill to Route 67. On the other side of the bridge. The soldier whispering the orders and then a gunshot.

Sarah is on the ground bleeding out, Tucker shows up a moment later and kills Sarah's killer.

"No, no, no."


	2. Chapter 2

Special thanks to nothing you can prove as always

Chapter 1

 **Early infected seem to have a weird energy substance to them.**

 **The number of confirmed death has passed over 200. The governors call for a state of emergency.**

 **There were hundreds upon hundreds of bodies lining the streets.**

 **Panic spreads worldwide after a leaked report from the World Health Organization showed that the latest vaccination tests have failed.**

 **With the bureaucrats out of power we can finally take the necessary steps to protect**

 **Los Angeles is now the latest city to be placed under martial law. All residents are required to report to their designated quarantine**

 **Amity Park has joined the growing number of towns succeeding from the United States**

 **Riots have continued for a third consecutive day and winter rations are at an all-time low.**

 **Vlad Masters has pledged his fortune and himself into a leadership of the provisional government. His resources are desperately needed to keep the military afloat**

 **His secure manufacturing facilities in a few automated facilities still functional in the country**

 **A group calling itself the fireflies of claim responsibility for both attacks.**

 **Their public charter calls for the return of all branches of government.**

 **GIW headquarters went up in flames but massive fireball, the last covert organization looking into the cause of the outbreak**

 **Demonstrations broke out after the execution of six more alleged fireflies**

 **You can still rise of us. Remember when you're lost in the darkness look for the light.**

Believe in the fireflies.

FALL

5 year later, after the infection

Boston quarantined zone. Danny's apartment

Danny moves himself off the floor and proceeds to change his shirt.

"Dammit another dreams, I hate it and everyone. What date is it anyways? "

Danny looks at the calendar; the same calendar he's been recycling for the last few years now.

"Crap. Danielle's birthday."

He remembers it is also the same day as his sister Jazz' too.

The cascading aroma announces to Danny that his cans of beans is ready-to-eat.

Is it a sad thought that it took the Apocalypse for him to finally embrace his diehard Fenton ability?

As an inventor, he has built an auto can food cooker. A single piece of flint starts the fire, connected to a burner under whatever can Danny sets up, which is connected to a trip wire he almost always trips over every time he leaves his bedroom.

Grabbing his food and a fork, Danny hunkers down to eat with a bottle of Scotch to wash it down.

Ironically, beans and peaches seem to have the greatest life expectancy in the Apocalypse. Maybe it's because before the fall, they produced them by the truckload. Danny would've thought on this more, but he is interrupted.

Bang, Bang, Bang

"I'm coming, give me a minute"

Danny props open the door and Tess Saunders comes in, reaching over to the table seeing what Danny is eating. Danny can't help his eyes wondering straight to her ass, eyeballing the contours of it.

Dammit he thinks, how long since I tap that, of course with that comes the aftermath.

Sometimes he wonders if it's worth. All the hassle of them having the inevitable emotional breakdown from feeling too vulnerable, from letting someone get too close. It almost always ends up with them both curled up naked and just crying their eyes out. Still, Danny thinks, if there ever was a time for it, today would be that day.

"You had real food, right. Not just scotch?"

"Can of beans and Scotch. A bit of bread, so I'm still hungry for something a little more filling."

Tess moves closer to Danny, looking him in the face.

"Like what for instance?"

Danny moves his fingers into the loops of Tess blue jeans and holds her close. Just as quickly, she removes Danny's hands and steps back.

"I'm not hungry right now, way too sober and I don't have time either. Also, given what today is, I think it would be in bad taste, what with it being your sister Jazz's birthday and Danielle's as well."

Tess doesn't miss a beat to kick Danny when he's down.

"You know there is no Phantom planet."

Danny was conflicted hearing his greatest moment and greatest defeat summed up so easily.

"You know me too well. You're probably the only person who remembers Phantom planet. Anyways, let's get to the point of your visit, especially with the other thing off the table. You know given today, I'll gladly take some of that to take my mind off everything."

Tess shifts uncomfortably, realizing the broken comfort has always been for her benefit. She's never really done much about Danny's pain. The thought crosses her mind that maybe it's time to let him have the emotional breakdown and for her to be the one that could comfort him for once.

"A ghost hero unites the world and ghosts to save us from life destroying asteroid and becomes a world-renowned hero. A little while later, he manages to disappear straight into obscurity again. It's like the knowledge of ghosts existing was removed from everyone's minds."

She raises an eyebrow suspiciously and crosses her arms.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say someone brainwashed the whole world to forget."

Danny shrugs nonchalantly, like it really didn't matter.

"Anyways, you did the delivery and let me guess, it went wrong, right?"

"Yes, delivery went without a hitch, and I handled it as you said you needed some alone time, especially given what today is."

Danny quickly grabs another drink and takes a swig.

"Enough, Tess we talked about this. Danielle was missing years before any of this happened. I haven't heard from Jazz for same amount of time. And after all this happened, the likeliness of me running into them alive and well. Yeah right. So enough, let's do some work already?"

Tess feels taken aback as her face hardens by Danny's nonchalant talking about his sister and first daughter's fate. She hopes Danny will open up soon and talk to her about it.

"Fine, on the way back I was jumped by some assholes."

Danny notices the large bruise on her face. He feels concern for her being injured and guilty that he had not noticed earlier.

"I'm assuming they did that to your face. Are these assholes still with us?"

"Of course there not with us any longer. Why would they be? The point is, they were sent by Dish. You know his MO as well I do by now. He's trying to take us out or something instead of pay us. Now what's important is that shipment of guns and what I can do with them when we get them back."

Tess's posture is overly eager. This is kind of unsettling for Danny, the thought of it making her feel almost desperate. Tess doesn't do desperate, somethings wrong. Danny feels it in his bones.

"So."

"I know where that jerk is. Let's go get our stuff. Oh and Danny you know the rules, always grab anything of value. Before we leave our apartment. Act like we're never returning."

Tess motions down again for him to grab his old wallet. It sits there open on the table, the cash long since gone. In its place were several small photographs. Danny grabs it and heads out.

They walk down the street, seeing different buildings around them looming, a broken colossus of the once great empire.

Ironically, Danny has always wanted to see Chicago. It has been on his list. However, this is not what he had been expecting. This is not Chicago; this is merely an empty desolate husk. This place is absolutely repugnant compared to the once great city. Chicago was

An impatient voice comes from in front of him. He focuses on it, seeing Tess standing there waiting for him, her hand on her hip.

"No daydreaming or sightseeing Danny. We have a jerk to kill."

Danny shakes his head to regain his senses, then walks fast to catch up with Tess. They stand shoulder to shoulder, making their way down the desolate street.

"Dish isn't that bad he has some issue as middleman and fixer in this broken world, every block got one in the quarantine zone. In the jerk works at the middleman for trade keeping on the up and up."

"Yes, right. He's playing the field, thinking he's the next Al Capone. A good fixer stays neutral and outlasts all of us. And to be honest, Dish is a jerk. He has been up in your grill since grade school. Always some excuse for you not to kick his ass. Social rules, law of the land, money, all that gone now. So grow up and man up."

Danny considers this as he notices nature has reclaimed the land unjustly took from her, the plants slowly working their way for the syntheses of human ingenuity and doing it.

It's so beautiful in a way. Sam would love this, sure 14-year-old her turned everything into an instant forest. The Sam he tried to marry tried to always look for a way to combine the strengths of both worlds into some new form of coexistence. Just like Danielle, Danny pondered aimlessly.

 **Attention all citizens are required to carry current ID at all times. Compliance of all city personnel is mandatory.**

Dictatorship is what the actual military government is now and that's how they run the quarantine zones. They don't even try to hide it anymore. It is what it is. Tess motions nonchalantly.

Danny always complains slightly about every time they leave the apartment. Tess has just learned to block it out and ignore it.

"Looks like the food line hasn't opened yet. Seems like they're running low."

Danny sees a young lady trying to question the soldier. She is basically told to shut up and wait. No surprise there. The soldiers commanding voice pierces the air.

"On the ground now."

"Let me go." Obvious desperate man pleads that sounds sad child

Everyone in the line, knowing exactly what is going. To the left, there are some people being pulled from the building and being scanned as Danny and Tess pass. One mistakenly tries to make a run for it.

BANG

The soldier quickly guns down civilian with no mercy. The sad truth of the quarantine zone. You could be killed at any moment's notice by any enforcer. Danny instinctively pushes Tess next to the building, putting himself between Tess at the scene. The last bit of Danny's heroic complex now only for those in his group and to hell with everyone else. Tess shakes her head at his action.

"Enough with the Boy Scout stuff. Let's get to the checkpoint."

They reach the checkpoint without any more complications and proceed to hand the guards at the checkpoint their IDs.

BOOM

One of the guard's motions for them to run, while the large metal doors leading out to the rest of the world close tight shut.

"Get out of here. Go"

"Fireflies"

Just like that, the checkpoint explodes in violence, a truck goes up in flames and everyone starts shooting randomly in every direction.

Danny notices Tess has been knocked on her ass and is struggling to get up, the other civilians quickly retreating to the nearest building to get out of the ongoing firefight.

Danny quickly scoops up Tess and does the hundred-meter dash with her over his shoulder, sprinting into the nearest building, then setting her down on the floor. She looks up at him, as Danny tries to catch his breath from the sudden exertion.

"I appreciate the effort, Danny but you didn't have to waste the hero run back there. I could've got to cover on my own."

Tess gives him a coy smile as she continues down the hall. Danny pauses for a moment, noticing that she had put her noticeable sway into her hips and also has pushed up her rear.

Danny stands there for a minute, truly believing that Tess is awarding him in a way or teasing him. He isn't sure which and to be honest he doesn't really care.

"Stop riding up my great ass and come on, Danny."

They approach the door as a figure steps out of the shadows.

"Max."

A girl with mid-length brown hair stands in front of them. She is wearing a tattered grey hoodie and dirty blue jeans. Her gaunt cheeks are more prominent than the last time they saw her, and she was already skinny enough then. Dark circles sit under her bright doe-like blue eyes, which have become more tired as of late. A small shoulder bag hangs down from her side.

"I'm glad you're still okay. Are you and Chloe still together, or are you still in contact with Kate?"

Max offers them a small smile, one that you would miss if you blinked at the wrong time.

"Both actually. So where you to headed?"

"Were going to pay Dish a visit."

Max shakes her head with a form of disgust on her face.

"He's really popular today. You know, you're the third group looking for him. I guess his jerkiness is finally overstayed his welcome."

This notion seems to amuse Max, not that anyone could blame her. Dish is not very popular with anyone. It's a surprise he hadn't been killed before now.

"Who was looking for him?"

"Marlene and Victoria."

The image of two women slowly materializes in Danny's mind. An African-American woman with black hair and intelligent brown eyes, the other with pale skin, short blonde hair and cold blue eyes.

The Queen of the fireflies and the leader of the Ravers.

"That man really is popular, huh? Everyone is getting in line to put a bullet in his head. Considering their methods of dealing with people, I'd say his days are numbered."

Max opens the door for us. We rush into a small apartment.

"Hey, Chloe is the northern tunnel clear?"

A woman nods in response to Max's question. She is 5'9 with strawberry blonde hair, hair Danny knows use to be blue, but hair dye isn't something so easily obtained in an apocalypse. She is wearing an off-white t-shirt, grey combat trousers, military style black boots, a black leather jacket, a worn beanie and a three bullet necklace. The tips of a tattoo poke out from the sleeve of her jacket.

"It's clear military and infected. I do know Kate was down there messing with the generators earlier in the fruit room."

Danny recollects a short blonde haired girl, with a kind smile and gentle hazel eyes.

"That's just like her, always trying to make things better. Now, you three remember, be safe and don't take any unnecessary risks. When the time comes and you have a decent number of trustworthy people, get out."

Chloe lets out a small tired laugh.

"Don't need to tell us twice."

Danny and Tess work together to push back the bookcase covering a small hole in the wall and crawl down the tunnel going overhead and retrieve their bags, gas masks, flashlights, a couple pistols and a few other random survival supplies.

Danny looks on miserably at the lack of ammo.

Not a lot of ammo, we only have a clip and a bit. I don't like it."

"We have to make every shot count, remember your toolkit Danny. As a Fenton you should be able to come up with something."

Danny checks the side pocket of his backpack, but couldn't find it. He starts looking around for it. He remembers when he got the small group multi-tool. It has helped Danny out more times than he can count.

Thank you, Jazz.

Danny looks around frantically for it, moving things around to see if it had fallen, however it is nowhere to be seen.

"It's not here."

Danny hears some banging in the side room and goes to investigate. He quickly goes over the barricade into the fruit room.

A very smart idea. Max's little crew came up with setting up side rooms as hydroponic bays to grow food. Danny really wishes he knew how they pulled that off. The downside is that maintenance is a complete pain in the ass.

The scene in front of Danny is a pristine Kate, her beautiful long blonde hair, which is usually tied up in a bun, now falls down her shoulder. Her white shirt is open, revealing her blue undershirt. Her skirt has ridden up, most probably from working on the generator.

"Damn, church girl Kate's got a great body."

Kate's head quickly turns to face Danny with a massive blush on her face.

"Sorry, I took the liberty of using your tools to handle a little misbehaving generator. Just give me a minute and you can have them back."

Danny shrugs and decides to assist Kate, giving her a good look over trying to memorize her appearance. Working as quickly as they can, they get the misbehaving machine fixed.

Kate steps back, wiping the small beads of sweat from her brow. She smiles at Danny.

"Thanks, Danny. You've been a big help."

Danny turns to leave, however is stopped by Kate's voice calling him back

"Danny."

He turns back to face her. She looks anxious, her voice hesitant and her body language a little closed off.

"Before you go, I have another favor to ask you. It'll only take a minute."

He doesn't want to delay his mission, but Kate and the others do a good job of maintaining this tunnel, and they're a good backup for food, so why not.

"Okay."

Kate passes Danny a camera and he notices in the take a few pictures of her still on the machine.

A short time later, Danny left the interesting room after having a mini erotic photo session with Kate. For Danny's trouble, she gives him a quick peck on the cheek and one of her erotic photos

Danny is ready to go, but curiosity gets the better of him, especially pristine Kate wanting sexy photos.

"Kate, you don't have to tell me, but why the photos. Anyways."

Danny feels like total crap, reporting Kate on the spot. In mind sees Kate is sort of a cross between a nun and Angel from the heavens. Sweet, innocent wholesome honest. In other words, perfect

He's so going to go to hell for this. Danny thinks in his head.

Incredibly, Kate blushes even deeper than before.

"I guess given the state of the world now, I can be honest with you at least. It took me a long time to accept it, but I know I love Max and I kind of feel the same for Chloe. I can see why Max loves her so much."

Kate leans back against the generator as she readjusting her outfit. Danny feels kind of sad, he can no longer see her great body. (She continues even more hesitantly then before.)

"You know that Max and Chloe are together. I look at them and realize that I want to be included in that same way, but I'm kind of shy, so it makes it hard for me to say it outright. I just thought that Max always has loved photography, it's how we met actually in photography class, and"

Danny places a finger up to Kate's lip to silence her. Danny's gesture gives Kate obvious relief from the tension building up in her body.

"I understand. You want to show them that you love them, but your good church girl roots make it hard for you to say 'Let's have three-way from now on'."

Kate blushes bright red. Under normal circumstances, she would have reacted negatively to what Danny had just said and counterattacked, but in a way she is happy to have been able to make her feelings so clear. That is what she wants after all, more than anything.

Danny quickly leaves, noticing a still exposed Kate making a beeline up to Chloe and Max.

Danny suspects that between the photos and Kate's wild new look, there will be fireworks happening for these three very soon.

"Anyways, we been here long enough. Let's get dash."

They exit down the tunnels. Danny passes exquisite photo of Kate to Tess.

As they move in the distance, Danny can faintly hear Tess comment on it.

Danny and Tess manage to agree on one thing, if either of them had a genuine shot with Kate, they would take it. They have little doubt that Max and Chloe wouldn't be able to turn such an offer down either. One thing is for sure, those three really do love each other.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny Phantom last of us

chapter 2

"Enough already Tess, it's been like 20 minutes now and all you've been going on about is Kate's photo. Maybe I can find you a quiet place to work out your frustrations, maybe go back and set the two up on a date."

Tess shifted uncomfortably at Danny's words. The trip between the two zones outside had been uneventful. The only upside is Tess found a couple bottles of alcohol and a med kit.

The only awkward was then they had to pass. Trish and her group going the other way. The mutual respect for fellow smugglers succeeded kept it from being a disaster

Now back on the street in the other district heading to Dash

"Hey can you help me out, Tess?'

"Later."

"Tess."

"Later, Zach."

Tess stormed off away from Zach. He shrugged at Danny as he passed, then returned to his standing around.)

"Maybe we should have found what he wanted?"

Tess shook her head.

"Trust me, Danny if he has something important to say he would've started with it or would've gone out of his way to find us. He's probably waiting around, hoping for scraps. People with business gets to the point."

Danny realized that Tess had a valid point.

"Okay."

They passed cages with some dogs in. They barked as Tess and Danny drew closer. Danny would love to try and get one. They were good for defense against humans and infected. They also did wonders in improving your mood. In a pinch they make a good meal. The guy selling them caught Danny staring and shook his head.

"Sorry, Danny. Just sold the last one. Try again later."

They were about to turn down an alley to cut across to the warehouse where Dish was, when Danny was suddenly pulled to the side by Tess. She motioned upward with her head.

"Up high. Now."

Without questioning, Danny quickly pulled Tess up the fire escape and they tiptoe around the edge the buildings looking down on the clearing of the alleys. Danny gestured to Tess, noticing the five thugs guarding it.

"Damn ambush."

Tess decided to go for the stealthier approach, taking one of her newly acquires bottles of alcohol and constructing a Molotov cocktail with some rags. She threw it towards the guards. Their shrieks pierced the air, then all was silent.

A minute later, Danny and Tess searched the now dispatched guards.

"Excellent three clips, a revolver and med kit."

"You know this means they are more guarding him; he might have an army."

Danny mentioned that checking his new gun, and loading it

Tess made sure her gun was loaded, just in case they got into a compromising situation.

"We'll deal with it. Let's go left. All right, keep it quiet and deadly."

A few minutes later, only the captain of the guard remained.

(Who is speaking here? Tess or Danny? Might want to include an action to demonstrate it)

"Kwan, long time no see old buddy, I can't believe you're still picking up after Dish. I mean, I figured after high school you moved away and grew a backbone." Danny try to be cheerful as possible. He's always had a good relationship with Kwan unlike his asshole best friend

Kwan had a sneer on his face. He also realized Danny and his friend had the drop on him.

"From what Danny told me, back in school you were a stand-up guy. And later you went to college and Mary had a family. I respect the fact you stood by your best friend, but you know as much as I know that Dish is a self-destructive jerk. He's pissed off a lot of people, both Marlene and Victoria are after him. You know what that means. Blood is in the water. You know we right you know me and Danny. Trust us, walk away now."

Danny looked around silently, realizing he was in over his head here. Danny remembers that Kwan was always known as a gentle giant at school, but with time he became bigger and stronger.

Short of emptying the clip into him, if it comes down to physical confrontation, he would demolish Danny and Tess. Danny winced at that thought.

"Dash is my only friend and family I have left. He's obviously falling apart and with the fireflies and that gang, he's as good as dead. What can I do now and where do I got now?" Kwan shrugged sadly a man obviously conflicted

Danny leaned back against the wall, not knowing how to answer Kwan's desperate question.

"The crew you had protecting Dish is gone. How long until people realize he's gone and you're connected to him? They'll come after you to get what he owes them on principle, thinking you're an easy mark." Danny pushed the words towards Kwan like a hammer hitting a nail

Kwan moved against the wall with his shoulders back like to move the world was crashing down on him

"Okay, so if I agree with you, what do I do then? I need some kind of proof that things can get better, that there's still hope if you will." Kwan mimicked quietly for soft voice

Tess shrugged for moment then advanced forward, closing the distance between them. She motioned for Danny to bring down his weapon.

"You find a new mission. Everyone eventually has to build new family. Clean out your crew supplies and get out of Dodge. No one who has a grape with Dash will bother chasing you down."

Kwan posture seems to improve immensely like he finally seeing the light at end of a very long tunnel

Danny takes a step forward.

"This is your new start man. Get rid of this baggage that's holding you down and become better. You know me I've given Dash more chances than anyone, but he's going down one way or another."

Kwan steps back a sadly excepting over his face. He knows full well. Danny history with his former friend. Danny had more reasons than any one of crush dish, if she's finally ready to end them. This is the end of the line. Kwan had these thoughts crushing from his head

"You're so right, Danny, California. I can try getting there. Last I heard, my cousin and aunt made it out there before all this. I just don't know."

Tess new reassurance was needed so she tentatively walks up to Kwan and puts a hand on his arm, reassurance. After a moment Tess moves more frantically the effect on Kwan was immediate as she start to focus on her attentively.

If Danny had paid close attention he was asked the obvious question where's Tess other hand, and what was it doing.

"Let's talk in private. Okay I think I know what you need as a form of reassurance."

Tess motioned for Danny to wait by the door as her and Kwan went inside small office.

15 min. later

Kwan left after his consultation with Tess. He decided as a bonus, he would close doors of the warehouse as well as disarming Dish

"How does that help?"

Tess stood up, pulling on her blue jeans and fastening them up. She'd already re-adjusted her shirt and pulled her jacket back on and was now putting on her boots.

"Dish is a coward. He only keeps like 2 rounds in his gun He afraid to shoot himself and the doors limited his escape. He only has one way out. One of us will chase him right into the other, and once in the alley behind his warehouse, he's boxed in and we got him."

smash crash bang

"Hello Dish."

The years have not kind former football star his blonde hair. Now long and jagged probably fit body seemed pudgy looked out of place is blue jeans T-shirt and his varsity high school sports jacket. His piercing blue eyes scanned the alley looking for a way out. As he tried to catch his breath

Dish squirms on the ground after being clotheslined by Danny. He squirms and spits out blood and a few teeth.

"Hey, Fenton, what are you think you're doing? I'm in a list top of the food chain you nothing. No your place nerd geek loser"

"I think we hit him too hard, he thinks he's still back high school."

"Very funny. After all these years Dish you are still using high school status as your biggest bragging point, look at you, man. You are still wearing your football team jacket. I don't know whether to laugh or cry" Danny said the most mocking way possible

Tess looked confused for a moment, standing back and watching the exchange

"a list, is what they called the rich popular football stars and cheerleaders in my high school that got preferential treatment because of it was supposed to base on performance and skill for nearly everyone I know should've been in a list ironically none of them. The sad thing is, that was years ago before the outbreak. "Danny mentions these past facts in the unimportant way possible

Tess shook their head. Obviously fatigued that this is not side tracked by high school crap. In retaliation her attitude hardened to their quarry

Danny retaliates by kicking Dish in the nose.

"The guns." Danny mentioned nonchalantly

"We want them." Tess followed up angrily

"You see..." Quarry. Try to I was way out of his fate

Tess seemed to clean her boots on Dish's ribs, Danny swore he could hear then cracking as she hit him. Dish winces harshly for a few minutes.

"All right, look, it's complicated..." Dish squirms as he tried to weasel his way out of this

Danny proceeded to curb stomp him.

"It's not that complicated when our guns?" Tess followed up firmly the fire in her voice

"I sold them I didn't have a choice"

Dish straightened up a little thinking his line has stopped the beasts that are attacking him

"Who did you sell them to?" Tess looks completely angry that she questions her quarry

Tess moved close, squeezing Dish's throat.

"Who?"

Danny pulled out his gun, threatening Dish with a motion that suggested he would shoot him without mercy. Fear began to creep into Dish's eyes as he realized the seriousness of the situation.

"The fireflies, I owed them. I had no choice."

Tess shakes her head.

"You chose badly; you chose the wrong team. Now your goanna makes it right."

Dish turns to Danny, terror in his eyes, his voice desperate.

"Danny, I know you. Your good guy. Don't do this. Think about that creepy chick or your hot sister. You think they would approve of this?"

Dish frantically tried to persuade them. He focuses on pursuing Danny, the man on his knees clutching at straws this save his life.

"What about that younger dark-haired girl Danielle. You were so sweet on it. Could you look her in the face if you did this?"

Dish frantically begged for his life, not realizing his information was out of date by years and he had just pushed Danny's buttons. What was worse was that Danny caught the fleeting look on Dish's face when he mentioned Danielle. That wasn't the look of someone begging for their life, it was a look of desire, "she's hot and I want her". It made Danny's blood boil. He spat at Dish.

"You and Paulina are cut from the same cloth. Why do I keep giving all you chance when you screw up my life and the people I care about?"

Tess tried to stabilize situation. She moved her hands to Danny's shoulder, try to give a comforting gesture.

Danny stepped forward standing tall, years of frustration finally coming to the surface. Danny's face hardened, the look on his face says one word enough.

He quickly pulled his gun and shot Dish in the head, killing him. A great moment of release washed over Danny's face, like years of crap have finally been dumped off his shoulders. Tess ran a hand tiredly through her hair.

"Okay, I respect why did that Danny, but we need to get our merchandise back. How are we supposed to get our guns now?"

"We find a firefly."

A voice behind them caused them to spin around.

"You won't have to look far."

Marlene hobbles into the alley behind them, anguish on her face as she holds her obviously wounded side. Blood oozed from her wound, staining her clothing. She looks around the small alleyway, confusion on her face.

"Where is Dish?"

Tess moved back to reveal Dish body. Marlene's emotions of anger were obvious and she opened up with a fury as she leaned against the wall.

"I need that fucker alive."

Tess shrugged indifferently.

"He gave you something that was not his to give. We need those guns back."

Marlene's face moved, they could almost track her as she went over her options. A box Canyon of sorts.

Danny and Tess had seen that stance dozens of times when negotiating with people.

"That's let's cut a deal. You want them back. You got earned them. You pay for them; I can't just give it to you for free."

Tess sighed.

"What you want? Ration cards, alcohol, hell I'll even get you some time with women."

Danny felt like he had been punched in the chest and leant back against a wall in the small alleyway. The shock of how desperate Tess was finally hit him. She almost never trades that last thing, it's one of the few lines she wouldn't be willing to cross trade wise.

"I don't give a crap about any of that, I'm thinking you're pretty desperate for these. What I need is something smuggled of the city."

"Technically we got a deal, but I need to confirm you have them considering the situation. Of course."

Marlene sighs tiredly, running her fingers through her hair.

"Fine follow me."

After several minutes of crossing the city endlessly, Marlene led them to door, which they pushed open.

As soon as they enter the room, Danny found himself on his back. Danny winces as he sits up and notices the young girl holding a knife on his associate. Marlene sauntered into the room and collapsed into a chair. It creaks under the sudden weight.

Danny thought he was hallucinating. It couldn't be. His voice came out half strangled.

"Danielle?"

The girl scowled at him, pressing the knife further into Tess's neck, confusion spreading across her face.

"You move an inch, I kill you. What are you doing here?"

Marlene coughed, a small trickle of blood coming from her mouth. A fleeting look of worry passed across Ellie's eyes when she saw the state Marlene was in, before she remembers we are here. She clamped down on it, her eyes steely once more. She tightened her hold on her knife.

"Ellie, calm down they're going to help us, and trust me I know them."

The girl reluctantly pulled the knife back from Tess's neck, but was still on guard.

Danny now had a good look at the girl. She was roughly around five 'four, with long black hair down to her waist and piercing blue eyes. She's wearing tight blue jeans probably a size too small, hiking boots and a blue hoodie, with a beanie on her head. Also with her is an oversized green backpack. The outfit does nothing to hide the start of puberty and it is impossible not to notice the start of the curves and her chest. Danny estimated she was between 12 to 14 years old, give or take.

An annoyed voice caused Danny to break his thought. Ellie stared back at him, an unimpressed look on her face.

"Hey creep. If you're done eye molesting me, care to join the conversation?"

Her attitude was unsurprising. Kids need to get tough forget dead in this new world. The smarter ones also learned when to keep their mouth shut. Danny quickly considered then force itself the focus on the conversation at hand

"They are going to take you the rest of the way."

Ellie turned to Marlene, shaking her head in disbelief.

"No way, Marlene that was not the plan. You were going to take me."

"I'm in no condition, I need to get patched up a headquarters. You need to go now."

"I guess that's okay, but..."

Ellie trails off. When she finally got a good look at Danny, obvious shock covered her face. She was poor at hiding it.

"Not him, he doesn't have what it takes anymore."

Marlene looked slightly confused, not understanding what the girl was talking about.

"How about you two stay here and talk it out. I'll settle business up with Tess."

Tess and Marlene left the angry girl and a confused Danny behind. Ellie paced nervously, keeping a nice distance from Danny at all times.

"What's with those two, for old friends they acted cold to each other Danny, right? And by the way what your stake in this?"

Danny was noticeably surprised the girl was actually talking to him.

Danny shrugs uncontrollably wondering how we should approach this.

"If I had to guess by the reactions they say those two dated for a while way back when. Which wouldn't surprise me. As for us, someone sold your friends stuff that belong to us. We want it back, but we had to settle up the difference, hence this job"

Ellie looked down disheartened as Danny settled himself on the couch.

"So you just mercenaries, I heard things about your crew. I expected you be something noble."

"It is what it is kid! We going to be here for a while. It's almost curfew, so let's just lay low."

"What am I supposed to do?"

Danny sighed from the endless questioning. All he wanted to do was sleep. It had been a long day by any account.

"I don't know; whatever a 12-year-old does with free time. Play games, change outfits, read porn, I don't know. Just stay in the room and keep quiet. I'm going to get some sleep."

Ellie face contracted with the blatant wording of being spoken down to. If it wasn't for the fact they need to keep the noise level down, she probably would've screamed in rage and beat Danny. Noise attracted the wrong type of people, infected or worse.

Ellie took a few cleansing deep breaths and then answered calmly.

"For the record, I'm 14 not 12. I don't play games, who has enough wardrobe to change outfits anyways and lastly, unless you willing to assist, we can forget porn. Let's be honest, I probably know more in that regards than an old cranky ghost like you."

Ellie smiled smugly turned away from Danny placing both her hands behind her back standing up straightly walking away the make note to swinging her hips, pushing up rear. The way her friend Riley showed her once. A small glance over her shoulder. Her awkward attack had succeeded on Danny

"Great, just great Danny. Now, young girls are trying to mess you up. I guess no one innocent anymore in this world."

To Danny's relief, Ellie sat down and found something else to amuse herself with other than taunting him.

Danny thought about his new companion. She is so much like Danielle, but also rude and insolent. She's also playful just like his Sarah. Great Spirit sisters, knowing his luck.

Is that **what his** sweet Danielle would have grown up to be in this kind world? Would Sarah have?

Restless sleep took over Danny as this thought plagued his mind.

Chapter ending

it is not obvious Ellie is having fun trying to torment Danny she's using any weapon. She can wield

from the banter to inappropriate remarks. Obviously she knows something about Danny?

But what is it?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

the last stand of the dam. And new beginnings

Tess marches to her destination with purpose, compelled by desire to complete her bigger plan. As she reaches the door to where her associates are camped out, she takes a moment to compose herself against the opposite wall.

"Dammit, so damn close to the end, it's always the case that you get sloppy."

Tess pulls back her collar, looking at the damage. She sees the bite; it already looks ten times worse than it did the last time she checked it.

A scowl crosses her face as she stares at her wound. She's on borrowed time. At least she can make things better for Danny, restore some hope to him, even if it's too late for her.

"I just hope he realizes the truth before it's too late this time. It all begins with Danielle and for Danny it also ends with her too."

Tess wills herself to stand tall and marches on. This is the point of no return for her.

A moment later in the safe house.

The scene before Tess could've been the set up for a slasher film or an adult film.

Danny is spread out on the couch fast asleep, with Ellie standing over him. She stares at him with the look of a deranged serial killer. She tosses her switchblade from hand to hand, obviously undecided on what to do to Danny.

Not wanting to find out what she has planned. Playing on a hunch, Tess decides to try and disarm the angry girl.

"Hey, Danielle, what's up? Decided how to punish this bad boy yet?"

Tess makes a point of speaking in a playfully seductive tone to try and diffuse the situation.

Ellie immediately turns and tosses the blade. It luckily misses Tess, instead hitting the wall. A flash of panic enters Ellie's eyes for a second.

"How do you know that name? I mean, what you talking about?"

She tries to downplay her reaction, hoping Tess didn't realize. Tess picks up the knife, now realizing she's got the upper hand.

"You know, you couldn't keep a secret if you fall for such an obvious trick, Ellie or should I say Danielle. I know you weren't expecting to ever see Danny again and for certain reasons you probably hate him. Don't you at least want to hear his side of things then work from there? You guys have a second chance here. Not many get that chance."

Ellie shifts nonchalantly, perplex at the course her life has taken. She is obviously scared if the expression of fear on her face is anything to judge by. Tess takes on a calming tone in an attempt to ease her distress.

"Calm down, honey, I'm not going to rat you out. Danny deserves some time in doghouse, a lot to be honest. He was about your age. The last time you're in his life. And you asked them to take on quite a lot. He cares, just give him a chance. I'm not your mother, but when I was about your age I lost my dad. My last words to him were in anger and regret it to this day. Don't be like me."

Ellie looks away, unable to make eye contact with Tess.

Her feelings for Danny are conflicted, and what's worse is that she is dependent on them in her situation.

Ellie has been in hopelessness situations in her life before, but this one felt worse than all the other times she's been there.

She sits down and pulls her knees up to her chest. Tess takes a step towards Ellie.

"Ellie honey you know the old saying, it's always darkest before the dawn. I know it's hard, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. Think of all possibilities for this meeting to come to pass."

Tess hands back the switchblade to Ellie. She looks shocked.

"Why?"

"We all have past and demons, you have a chance to move forward. Take it. I trust you, Danny trusts you."

Tess glances over to Danny's wallet.

"Interested to know what's in that?"

Tess hands Ellie Danny's wallet. When she opens, she immediately sees the photos.

In shock, Ellie nearly drops the wallet, as she peers at the few photos inside it. Namely, the one on top, the most cherished from all. The picture of two dark-haired girls. One of the few pictures of her and Sam from way back when.

"Hey, you're both here, let's get ready to go. It still curfew for a few hours. Remember we got to lay low."

"We need to eat first, you got two growing ravaging women here. Take care of Danny."

Tess and Ellie stood back to back, arms crossed in front doing best seductive poses.

"Crap," Danny grumbled, "Their bonding, now we will have two of them."

Tess and Ellie high-five and proceed to eat.

After the healthy meal of beans and peaches and Scotch, the group of heroes finally make their way out to the world.

Sometime later

"So what is the designated hitter rule anyways?" Ellie asked for the third time, trying to get her head around the rules of the game.

The girls continue talking endlessly about sports rules. Danny grumbles, wishing they would shut up and focus on task at hand.

"Hold up here, we are going to climb up this open boxcar. That should put us in a position to speak past the control on the perimeter. Once we passed those, we cut through the downtown and get straight to the rendezvous point. So for the love of God, radio silence from here."

Tests uncharacteristically rolls her eyes; she knows full well anything short of a rock concert noise wise will not make any difference. Not that Danny would ever listen last five times she mentioned that.

The group climb up the boxcar and then jumps down onto the other side. Tess begins to grow curious about their newest companion. What could possible possess anyone to want to smuggle her?

"So, Ellie what's the deal with you, anyways. Are you a bigwig's daughter or something?"

Ellie looks to Tess, a feeling of relief. That's all. She's asking about the mission and not her secret, especially in front of Danny.

"Something like that."

Smack

"Put your hands in the air."

"Don't do anything stupid"

Two guards get the drop on them. They have no choice but to comply.

"When I'm right, I'm right." Danny whistles triumphantly.

"The love of God and irony, Danny will never let me live this down." Tess blurts out before she realized what she said.

Tess, Ellie and Danny get on their knees, and put their hands on top of their head.

One of the guards stands next to Ellie as the other proceed to check them for infection using a hand-held scanner by pressing it to the back of their necks. The guard by Ellie radios for backup. He is frantically waiting for a reply.

"Negative."

Danny shrugs, but the machine states the obvious.

"Negative."

Tess face twists, realizing what many have suspected, that the scanners are not accurate.

Another colossal lie by the military. There is no excuse. The guard moves towards Ellie and presses the scanner into her neck.

"Positive."

Just as the machine beeps, announcing the results, Ellie quickly strikes out, stabbing the guard in the leg. He goes down. She jumps forward and continue to stab the soldier.

Tess tackles the other guard to the ground just as he aims his gun at Ellie.

Danny quickly shoots them both with his gun and grabs their ammo. Danny is a little out of breath from the sudden action.

"What the hell was that?" Tess mentions frantically to Ellie.

"Danny look." Tess mentioned as she now picks up now dropped machine.

Danny sees machine that Tess is holding, revealing Ellie positive infection status.

"She's positive, Marlene set us up!"

Ellie shakes her head, sounding desperate for Danny and Tess to understand her situation.

"I'm not."

"No? Well then, explain this."

Tess shoves the machine in Ellie face. She shrugs and accepts her fate. Ellie reluctantly takes off her jacket and pulls up her sleeve. A very nice blue and red flower tattoo moves up her arm to her shoulder. In the middle there is a flower with some words. They can see that it is now unreadable due to a visible bite mark that seems to have sealed up and scarred.

Ellie points to the bite.

"This is three weeks old and counting."

"Nice tattoo. How mad was your mom when you got it?"

Danny shakes his head at how nonchalant Tess is being about all this.

"Tess this is serious; everyone turns within two days. So stop BS us." Danny howls at Ellie.

Tess looks down at the ground feeling displaced. Danny is so contracted with anger that he's ready to explode.

"It's three weeks, I swear, my mom was one of the design it the family crest. Of course it is only supposed to be the size of my hand, but I upgraded it. Course she's a little ticked I expanded it to the whole arm, but she got over it."

"What the hell's going on?" Danny howls again, not caring how loud he is.

"Think about it. How long you been with you?"

Tess thinks over their time travelling. They have been with Ellie for a while and she hasn't even show any sign of infection. It should be obvious by now that she had been bitten.

"Damn she's right, we've known her for at least 12 hours already. She should be turning or something by now."

Lights stream in the distance heading our way.

"Dammit backup is here. Run!"

Several tense minutes and near confrontations between the military, infected and the group later.

They run through the downtown corridor at a frantic pace.

"We got to do something it's been like 35 minutes now and they are still on our ass, worse every time we lose them in the building, we run right into the infected. The last one we barely dodged 4 clickers."

"We need a plan? We can't keep running like this."

Ellie runs over with her hands on her legs, breathing hard from extreme exercise. Danny and Tess are not doing much better.

"Hey, on the upside we're almost at the other side of the downtown area. If we cut through a few other building over there we would be almost at the rendezvous point."

Tess shook her head nonchalantly, waving her hands frantically.

"With the military still writing our asses, that's a guaranteed recipe for disaster."

"Follow me. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Subway express."

Tess looks ready to kill Danny. The Subway express is suicide. The conditions are completely horrible between collapse tunnels of shifting debris, water hazards and half the time infected and crazies. And some of them are straight up rivers, now. What Danny is suggesting truly scares Tess all the way down to her bones and blood.

Danny looked around and saw the subway sign excellent. 39. Street perfect.

Danny grabs the girls and quickly drags them down the stairs to the station, reaching lower-level. He drags the girls to the stairs leading to platform.

"Excellent, lucky us, there is a boat."

"That's not a boat. That's a couple of wooden skids attached together by a few planks and not much else. With another plank uses, propulsion and steering."

Ellie frantically tries to go back the other way. Tess holds her steady.

The dispute quickly ends with the arrival of soldiers' gunfire. They quickly grab the skids and start moving down river.

"Grenade."

BOOM

…

In the slow motion, the three heroes find themselves tossed into the river, sliding down back and forth. Ellie waves her hands wildly in panic. Danny jumps and grabs a plank, moving it in front of them. Tess quickly grabs Ellie, stopping her from drowning. Tess sees Danny use some of the plans to block their path, making a makeshift roadblock, which will keep them from being swept downstream. The two girls crash into Danny's makeshift blockade.

…

Danny turns to them.

"See it all worked out, we are a block away and it looks like we finally lost the military."

Tess is not impressed by Danny's attitude. They could have quite easily died here; hell they almost did.

"Funny Danny, or have you noticed Ellie cannot swim. I'm not that strong at it either. You are lucky neither of us drowned."

…

Tess crosses her arms in fury in reaction to Danny's words. Ellie is coughing up water, trying to catch her breath.

…

"Anyways, any idea on how we get out of here?"

The group look around the area, trying to find a way out.

"I've never been in this station before. What about you, Danny?"

Danny turns to Ellie. Surely she should know where they were going to take her.

"We work through it. What was the plan after we get you to the rendezvous with the fireflies?"

Ellie shrugs, realizing she has no choice.

"The fireflies have a base their own quarantined zone. The doctors there are still trying to work on the cure. They test me, figure out why I'm, you know, immune, reverse engineering whatever that is and get a vaccine."

Tess looks over to Danny incredulously.

"Is she serious?'

Danny just wants to go home and leave all this behind.

"Enough is enough of this fairy tale."

Danny looks unconvinced at his partner.

"We are leaving, we are going back to the house and forgetting about this."

Tess stares at Danny with an intensity that could melt steel.

"What if it's true?"

"It can't be..."

Tess's eyes are full of desperation, pleading Danny to reconsider.

"What if, Danny? We've come this far, let's just finish it."

Danny's had enough and feels completely stressed.

"First the guns and now this?! Tess, you are taking this way over the edge dammit! This is your damn mission, not mine. I don't want any part in this. I'm going home."

Tess moves her arms across her chest while leaning against the wall thinking.

"Home? Is that what you think that run down building where we hole up is? I've got news for you, that place is no-one's home and it never will be. Danny, I can't keep doing this you know. I can't keep wandering aimlessly with no goal. I can't just keep surviving; I have to live. I got a plan. I'm cashing out. I'm going for sanctuary. "

Danny stomps several feet away, anger flowing through his veins. At least she isn't opting for the easy way out, but going for sanctuary is looking for retirement, a piece of safe haven where you can live out your days, another hermit who will die in some shack in the middle of nowhere.

Ellie looks around anxiously. She swears she hears something and in this world, it's safer to assume that something is out to get you.

"Guys, I hate to break this to you, but we're not alone. Whatever your relationship issues are, I think we've met the fireflies and OH no."

Ellie's screams bring Danny and Tess out of their argument. They run over to where Ellie is and are met with a sight that sends shivers down Danny's spine. As he looks, he sees the way lined with several stores, the right side of the upper subway platform has collapsed. His eyes settle a little way down the tunnel. He sees the dead fireflies, but that's not what scares Ellie. What scares Ellie is the vision of evil next to them, one both Danny and Ellie had believed, or at least hoped, they would never see again.

They are frozen to the spot. Tess looks to where they are staring, obviously not grasping the seriousness of the situation. In among the corpses of the fireflies are bodies in white suits. She wonders why they're so scary of these dead guys.

"What? They are just some guys in white suits, no change that, white armor so scary" Tess mentions nonchalantly, hoping to calm down her allies down. Unwilling to admit that whatever they are terrorizing her allies with fear.

Danny stands tall, checking to make sure they are dead by picking up a nearby rock and smashing their skulls in.

"Those are guys in white, they are a subdivision of the US military /homeland security specializing in paranormal activity, in particular ghosts."

Ellie leans against the wall, her breathing becoming level as she realizes they are dead. She lets out a shuddery breath, trying to calm her shattered nerves. Tess doesn't quite grasp what Danny is trying to say.

"So..."

Danny's expression becomes solemn.

"Collateral damage is second nature to these clowns and civil rights didn't exist way before the outbreak. They were already running everything in a martial law style long before any of this."

Tess looks back wondering if it is worth hearing, given that hurt and fearful expressions of her counterparts faces and their reactions to seeing these jerks

Ellie follows up with the explanation almost needing the vent it did feel more calm and collected

"There. The reason quarantined failed, they were the last agency left standing when the outbreak occurred. And with their fine work they guaranteed a pandemic and we all got screwed over. Let me demonstrate their handiwork."

Ellie stands up and gestures to every direction, then she twirls around. Tess's eyes grow wide at the sudden realization of what Ellie is suggesting.

"You mean they created the pandemic."

Ellie nods.

"Yes, they use their equipment claiming it's a ghost problem. And it's what mutated the spores to make more resilient and pungent globally."

Here is where Ellie loses Tess.

"That last bit didn't make sense, Ellie."

Danny pipes up.

"She means instead of stopping the outbreak, they thought they could use it as a weapon to kill all supernatural creatures and enemies of America. Basically, their enhanced version of the spores combined with the common version created a superbug version. And to make sure they can accomplish their objective, they released it for future and overseas."

Tess looks horrified. She also realizes they weren't telling her whole truth, she could tell by the way Ellie and Danny stalled at the end and how they both rubbed the back the neck the same way with their hand.

"So what now, I'm assuming these jerks in white got wiped out like most other government facilities, right."

Hope finally appears on Danny and Ellie's faces as they look over the white suited bodies.

"You're right. We thought it had all ended when their base went up in a fireball, but it looks like there are still some of them left and that's not good for anyone. It appears no-one can escape the infected."

Tess considers her options while she paces frantically.

"There's a chance they could just be scavengers who happened upon a military warehouse or something. If I stumbled across high-end armor and gear I know I'd definitely take it. Who wouldn't? My point is, that we can't confirm the theory that these guys are actually those jerks. Any equipment that belonged to the government has probably changed hands at least a dozen times since then."

"She's right now, and now the equipment will be in the right hands, namely ours."

Ellie starts probing the guys in white armor for useful equipment. Tess and Danny look at the fireflies by the stairs. After a few moments, Tess shouts over to check up on how Danny is doing.

"What's the good word?"

Danny looks over his stash.

"I found some Molotov cocktails, a few clips of ammo and the map to the rendezvous point, along with a brief description of our friend here."

Danny scans the description and is confused by what he sees.

"That's really weird. A redhead girl with blue eyes, about 14. You know it's like they're describing two different girls or they haven't got their facts straight. Given what I've seen of the map, I'm thinking the latter."

Ellie steps back from the grim task of searching GIW, not pleased with her findings.

"The armor is too tattered use. It looks like they were killed by a bladed weapon, sliced and diced. Too bad, the chest plate alone would've been great protection.

Because standard guys in white armor are completely bulletproof. Turns out what makes armor effective against ghost energy blasts near indestructible to conventional weapons."

Danny and Tess wait patiently for Ellie's findings, not pleased that she's drawing it out.

"As I was saying, no food or med kits or anything. I did find a busted satellite phone. As for the big question, the weapons, which would've been very useful. No luck. The two with energy guns are busted and drained of ammo.

But I did find a P90 on the last one. Looks like it's got a clip and a half left."

Danny and Tess face light up with glee, hoping they now have a P90 to back them up in future.

"Shame we can't take it. The firing mechanism is jammed. If we tried to use it, it's more likely to backfire and kill us. Leave it here."

Ellie looks over the gun and notices the damage, feeling completely heartbroken. Tess face hardens, then they decide to move on.

…

"From looking at the map, I can see an exit a little way from here that should take us about a block away from the rendezvous point. Let's go."

…

Danny and Tess quickly exit across the commissary, leaving Ellie behind. After a moment they call back for Ellie to catch up.

"Okay."

Ellie quickly shoves the P90 and the clips in her backpack and smashes the satellite phone, removing the status chip. It contains the contact information for the phone and its battery. Ellie races to catch up with her associates.

"Here we go finally here. It's about time."

"So why was this building so damn impressive?"

Danny's eyes wander around the room, looking at the stone columns and ornate stairs. He notices something out of the corner of his eye, the bodies of the fireflies they were supposed to meet. He points them out.

"Look, I think were too late."

Ellie notices the bodies and steps back, looking shocked.

"What now?"

Tess searches frantically the bodies trying to find something, she mutters to herself. There has to be something, anything. Danny walks up to her.

"Tess it's over. There's no one to meet us here. Let's pack it in and go home."

Ellie looks at Tess it's over realizes what's going on is that back of her mind She seen this before with Riley. And half her team since she came to this cursed land. Why did she ever leave Paris? Ellie ponders as she feels her eyes feel with tears.

"There has to be something on the vaccine here. One of them has to have something."

"Tess give up. Let's go."

Danny goes to place a hand on Tess's shoulder, but she recoils from him.

"Danny you don't get it. This is my last stop. There is no next score. This is it for me."

Tess stands up tall back from her associates and pulls back her collar, showing an infected wound.

Painful realization hits Danny's face, like a sledgehammer. Tess is infected and is going to die. He shakes his head in disbelief, not wanting to accept this fact.

"No."

Tess grabs Ellie's arm and points to the healed up bite mark.

"My wound is a few hours old and it's already gotten worse. Hers is three weeks. It's been already two days. You got to believe in this, please."

Danny feels as if his heart is being ripped out of his chest, but he doesn't show it. He tries to speak, but his words get caught in his throat.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Ellie screams out with panic in her voice.

"So I'm staying here and you two go." Tess motions to both Danny and Ellie to go.

Reluctantly, Ellie and Danny start to head up the back stairs.

So far the only exit. They see the one they came in by hoping by crossing the building. The find the back door

Danny was almost gone when he heard Tess call back to him.

"Danny, one more thing."

Tess holds Danny close and hands him a tattered old photo and whispers a few words. Danny reluctantly agrees. They would've continued but someone is banging at the door.

"Crap. They're here. Run, I'll cover you."

Danny and Ellie look shocked, they dislike the idea, but the look on Tess's face seals the deal.

Military probably the same ones that killed the fireflies they were supposed to rendezvous are now coming for them.

After one last look back, Danny and Ellie flee upstairs. Only then Danny realizes that Ellie already up the stairs. Moving across the building and rapid speed.

The next few minutes are a blur.

All Danny really recalls is that they fought a few guards and got a rifle.

…

Ellie points out a window. She quickly climbs out of. After a few well-placed movements, they find themselves down on the ground level in the bushes which works out well. When several guards run by entering the building from the rear.

The sound of several gunshots are heard in the distance.

"We got that bitch, I can't believe she took out nine of us before we got her and she was never in cover."

Ellie and Danny desperately notice another subway and quickly run towards it, disappearing during the confusion.

What neither of them notice his back in the Hall. Behind them, another group of individuals had appeared led by woman clad in red armor moving rapidly wielding a long blade.

Moments later when the soldiers pursuing Danny and Ellie chasing them. They find themselves quickly outmatched and dispatched with extreme prejudice.

The armored suited woman looking over Tess's body a few words.

"Damn we missed her? We need to find her."

The woman in red armor stood back as she has her helmet retracted. She looks down at Tess, her short curly black hair and dark gray eyes filled with nothing but a hardened edge of fire.

Her attitude was as charcoal black as her skin. Her biomechanical armor weighed heavily on her. She almost wishes she had never come to her cursed homeland. The favors she does for old friends; she should've stayed in Paris or went all the way to California. Only two tasks remained. Once complete shall see the hell with the US and everyone in it. The lady was interrupted from her thoughts. Her Lieu briefed her situation.

"General it seems to be a honey trap here!"

Honey trap, how she despises that term. Originally using your women as sexual bait for enemy soldiers seeking to gain intelligence or assassinate them. Offering reprieve for the resistance. Then slaughtering whoever shows up. At least three groups have already been hit. She leaves and wonders how many more will die here.

At the wave of her hand, her Associates head back outside to ensure no one else walk into this ambush again. The general smiles to herself, realizing only 20 of her men are going out to finish the ambushers off. The other 80 are just waiting in reserve with absolutely nothing to do. She's had greater challenges making a sandwich for lunch one-handed and drunk and hanging upside down.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

school is now in session the return of Mr. Lancer

2 1/2 days later, Ellie and Danny seem to be getting along a lot better. The unlikely pair stand on the edge of town name long since forgotten.

"What was the name of this town? Is this where your friends at?"

Danny takes a moment to try and recall the name, but it evades him.

"Actually, I can't quite remember, funny right?"

He shrugs and continues.

"My friends name is Mr. Lancer; I've known him for a while. Let's just say our earlier encounters weren't that fun for either of us, but in time I realized he had my best interest at heart. I'm just saying that he might be a little cranky to outsiders now, but he has his good points"

Ellie now has her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She is wearing khakis pants which end just low below her knees along with her boots and one of her hoodies.

…

"He was my teacher for most of my school life. At the time I really thought he was a gutless ass who only sided with the privileged kids and talked endlessly about boring crap. That couldn't have been further from the truth. He really did care about his students, but his bosses sort of regulated how he could teach. They had this sort of assembly line mentality for teaching students. What's worse is that he was kind of forced to show the privileged kids favoritism. So with the risk of getting caught red-handed, he couldn't do anything to them."

…

"So what change your opinion of him, Danny?"

Danny recalls the memory vividly.

"In my later years in school I realized he kind of knew what I was going through, but he was hoping I'd come to him. He didn't want to force me into a corner. I realized that I was underestimating him. Once I got him onside, we would work through my problems and soon enough I started getting decent grades. The man truly cares about teaching the young and educating them."

Ellie nods her head, hearing the respect in Danny's voice for the man.

"Let's be honest, how many 13 to 16-year-olds want to hear about 16th-century English poets, especially the public school. I always thought he would've been better teaching as a private tutor or maybe in some private school. The students who signed up for a class on 16th-century English literature would actually care. I've seen him tutor individually it and he can be pretty amazing, but the public school system kills effectiveness."

"There were students like your sister and you, right? How could it be that bad?"

Danny remembers those classes with clarity.

"Think of the stupidest and selfish person you know; this seems to breed ignorance. Now imagine a class of 30 students know at least 25 of them Jazz and 4 on the fence. That was his kind of classes."

Ellie shakes her head, seriously wondering about the status of education in this country.

…

She remembers when she was growing up kids wanted to learn, her included. They consumed knowledge from wherever they could get it. They thrived on it. Why would anyone throw that chance away?

"Wow, I feel kind of sorry for the guy. I guess not everyone is lucky enough to always have classes with students that want to learn. I think the old line is: knowledge is power. God knows all the things I've learnt have saved my life hundreds of times."

Danny smiles with pride, almost standing taller at Ellie's words. She just like Sarah in this aspect, taking pride in learning. Given the amount of dumbasses he's met before the world went to hell, maybe the apocalypse was a good thing. A sort of natural selection, wiping out the idiotic proportion of the gene pool.

…

With that worked the way down to the town. Almost at the first gate into a main street area when Ellie trips over something and lands on her face.

Danny looks down and realizes Ellie has tripped over a metal pipe with some scissors tape to it.

"Why would they do that?"

"Advantage beautiful."

Danny could almost hear from where he was standing the rolling of Ellie's eyes

you. Don't just smash things. With this with the scissors but also in pale making into a better club. Also if you meet a clicker you're guaranteed to smash your way through with the piercing force of the scissors make it better chance you'll taken out a single blow"

"You see, you don't just smash things with this. If you add the scissors, this already becomes a more effective weapon. It's way better than a normal pipe. If you met a clicker, you're guaranteed to smash your way through its head with the piercing force of the scissors, making for a better chance that you'll take it out in a single blow."

…

Ellie rolls her eyes at Danny's science lecture. She puts on a sarcastic tone.

"Thanks Mr. Wizard. You know, you could have just said it makes it more durable. That's all you had to say and I would have got it. I'm not stupid."

With that, Ellie stomps away from Danny. She stops just in front of a small wooden building that must have been a utility shed or something. Ellie hears something that makes her heart drop. She slowly turns around, a look of horror on her face. Before her is a twitching body. Its face is no longer visible under the weird growths coming out from it. The only visible thing is the mouth. It turns its head towards her and is just about to lunge at her.

Crash

Danny storms forward with his new weapon and buries the scissors on the pipe straight into the clickers head. For good measure, he kicks it in the knee. It crumples to the ground. Danny brings the pipe over his head and smashes its skull in with immense force. It's head caves in and it is still, except for the very occasional twitch as it dies. Danny removes the pipe from the head of the clicker and turns to Ellie. She is breathing heavily and shaking a bit.

"I didn't even see it. Most of them make a noise or something."

…

Danny remains stone faced as he searches the shed. In his searching, he manages to find a piece of fabric.

"That's why we pay attention. You need to work on your observation skills, Ellie. That's the second time you've been snuck up on. Luck is not always going be there to save your ass."

Danny takes the rag and sticks it in one of the bottles of alcohol Tess liberated earlier. Ellie looks over gleefully at Danny's creation.

"Cool. We got a Molotov cocktail. I'll get my Firestarter out just in case we have to use that bad boy."

Danny tilted his head curiously to one side.

"So that's how you making our campfires the last couple days. What else you have got in that backpack?

Ellie blushes sheepishly. She holds her hands behind her back as she walks away pushing her chest forward.

"A girl never tells her secrets, especially seeing as how this backpack contains the entirety of my underwear drawer, among other things."

…

Yes, but every man will make any excuse to go through a lady's underwear drawer. We all know that's where she keeps her secrets. You girls need to start hiding your stuff elsewhere. It's so cliché."

…

"And which girl secrets have you been privy to pray tell?"

Danny sighs and cuts his losses, realizing he just been outplayed by Ellie again as she continues with and even bigger smug look on her face.

Danny moves to try to boost Ellie over the fence, but is surprised when the girl grabs a few handholds and quickly scurries up the wall with some weird building climbing thing. Danny remembers it started with P or something. He wonders where she got that from.

A moment later Ellie opens the door.

"Welcome to Fantasy Island, where all your dreams will come true."

She holds out her arms, displaying the sight before them.

"You're way too young to know about that show. Were there reruns when you were growing up?"

Ellie shrugs.

"Something like that."

Ellie runs up to a building and quickly starts rummaging behind the counter. Danny follows her and scans the area, a frown on his face.

"What did I just say about being vigilant?"

"Cool, look what I found."

Ellie holds up a very expensive bottle of alcohol. Danny quickly grabs tries to grab it, but she manages to take a swig before he succeeds

"You were too young to drink stuff like this."

Danny with his newly acquired bottle places it in his backpack.

"Don't worry it's not like I haven't had before. This one time we were camped and all we had was bottles of wine to drink and rabbit stew as we waited out the storm.

Anyways this arcade game here about this fierce warrior girl made Angel Blade who has these cool…"

Danny vaguely listens as Ellie goes on about the game. There was a time when he would've been all over that videogame stuff, but Danny found himself more disheartened that Ellie is so young and has already tried alcohol. It just seems wrong to him.

They quickly walk off, leaving the arcade behind. A sign in front of them catches Ellie's interest. She walks up to it and examines it.)

"Mandatory evacuation. How is that even possible?"

"Some places got advance notice and tried to get things under control. Not that it matters in the end."

Ellie turns to Danny with a curious look.

"Will they go to the quarantine zones anyway?"

"Probably."

Ellie looked at sign sadly, thinking of the possibilities.

"I wonder how many people didn't get the heads up."

"Too many."

Ellie rushes off-again into another store. Danny wonders she has a death wish or something given she the running into non secure buildings

Ellie casually flicks through some of the old records gathering dust.

"It's kind of sad all this music not being played."

"I guess it is."

Danny looks over and notices that Ellie is now sitting at a drum set with a pair of sticks, ready to go into routine.

"Ellie step away from the weapon of mass destruction."

To Danny's surprise, Ellie brings down the sticks and plays a quick set.

"Thank you and good day everyone doesn't forget to tip your waiters."

"You know how to play all that?"

Ellie nods.

"I know that and have a black sheet on the drums, not really my musical instrument of choice and I only had like one lesson when I was younger. Do you play anything Danny?"

He looks up and down and grabs a guitar. He plays a few notes.

"I prided myself as a guitar player the same way little kids think of themselves as ninjas. I know a little bit, but reality it was eventually pointed out that I was no rock God."

Ellie feels little sad and at this truth, realizing her musical talent must come from her mother's side.

"Me, I seem to have natural talent, just need to find my weapon of choice. Got it."

Ellie pulls down a nice violin and presses it to her shoulder. She gets in the proper stance and, to Danny's ultimate surprise, Ellie starts to play it perfectly.

"Amazing. Let me guess, only a few lessons. What was that, Mozart?"

"Beethoven's sixth, personally I prefer high school of the dead."

Ellie plays a rock theme, which truly impresses Danny. Then she sadly puts the violin back on the shelf.

She could probably fit it in a backpack if she given up the P90. But if She could fix it would be a hell of lot more useful than a musical instrument.

"Why are you putting it back?"

"Really, Danny how can I carry a violin with me. Even a small one the size of my arm. Is insane any way you cut it."

Danny realizes his question is really stupid, but still he enjoyed the look of joy her face for a moment.

Without hope and joy, what does it matter? He remembers back to high school at a Carnival. He had the exact same discussion when Sam had dragged him to one. Danielle had spent the whole day playing Carnival games and then won. She got a teddy bear that was bigger than her and couldn't carry it home. She'd given away all the smaller ones that she had won to other kids. That big bear was the only one she actually wanted and Danny didn't want the hassle of carrying it.

Just as bad he didn't Danielle sit on his shoulders the whole day. Like so many dads and brothers did with younger children. What he should've done

"Danny something on your mind, we better get going."

Ellie quickly gets up and heads towards the exit, waiting for Danny. Danny looks around, examining the violins. He looks over the different models he saw what he wanted, the collapsible model you could disconnect.

All the needed to complete the set was collapsible bow luckily found one right beside the violin

He quickly looked over the pamphlet, which was luckily still on the counter as a form of advertisement.

"Not this time. Danielle."

Danny quickly unties the strings move them back. He adjusts the head and collapses it. It's takes 5 min. He jams it in his backpack and rushes to catch up with Ellie.

They make their way down the alley heading towards the warehouse, when clicker comes plowing around the corner. It runs straight at them. Danny prepares himself for a fight.)

Boom

The clicker goes flying into the air, or maybe to be more accurate, parts of the clicker fly into the air.

"What the hell was that?"

"Booby-trap. See that wire crossing the alley is attached to some explosives."

Danny points out the thin wire running across the width of the alleyway.

"What does that mean?"

Danny looks up to the roof tops. It would probably be safer that way, both because there would be fewer infected and less chance of getting blown up.

"We go up high. There will probably be less up there. Remember infected can't climb."

Ellie swings her arms.

"So is this Mr. Lancer guy, the kind of paranoid?"

"I'm assuming that was statement and not a question, because really who isn't a little paranoid now?"

She nods.

"So true."

Ellie and Danny find a ladder on the side of the truck and climate up using a board. The top of the truck the crossover the roofs and move on. Across the way they find a bow the knee against the wall

Danny picks up the bow and pulls back on the string.

"You used a bow, Ellie?"

She nods.

"A little. They taught me at the military boarding school. The kind of gave us a lesson in a bunch of weapons."

Ellie feels bad lying to Danny. She's fired a bow hundreds of times, personally she prefers Iris's crossbow with a nice solid bolt, she's also trained in the use of small blades and swords. She didn't really learn guns until the boarding school, unfortunately. Luckily, Danny doesn't notice her deep in thought as they climb over the building's roof. Danny sees something down below and holds up his arm to signal Ellie to stop. On closer inspection, he can see there is an infected stuck on one of Lancer's barriers. He points down to the clicker.

"Wait, look down. This could be a good opportunity for you."

Ellie doesn't quite understand what Danny is getting at.

"How?"

…

"You see that clicker there; it's stuck on one of Lancer's traps. Luckily for us, it's the perfect target for you to practice using that bow. I'll show you first, then you continue."

He does a quick head count on the number of arrows. There are ten in total.

"Ok, you've got five shots, I expect you to hit at least three of them."

…

"Great, no pressure.'

"Is called faith. You have shown to be a quick study and a steady hand"

Danny takes the bow and aims center mass at the clicker and gestures to Ellie where he's going to shoot. A moment later the arrow enters straight into the infected chest.

…

Danny gets Ellie into position and asks her to shoot. She buried three arrows into the clicker next to Danny's shot, the last on finishing in the clicker's head.

…

"Excellent, you're a natural."

Danny considers something for moment, she does seem to be a better shot than him and having her unarmed is kind of stupid.

"Here, you take this from now on, remember use it on infected only. We don't want to pick a fight with humans unless we have to."

Danny hands over the bow to Ellie, along with the remaining arrows. He quickly grabs Ellie backpack and starts to adjust it. She doesn't seem to understand what he trying to do, that is until she realizes he's attaching the quiver for the arrows to her backpack, quickly stitching it in.

"There you go. Now you have a quiver upgrade to your backpack. It should be able to carry close to 30 arrows, we still have to work on the drop thing, but we don't have the parts right now. Anyways, let's get moving."

Ellie's curiosity is peaked by Danny's words.

"What's a drop thing?"

Danny begins to explain.

"It's an add-on the quiver to the go upside down. The arrows won't fall out, it's a sort of a lock for your quiver you have to unlock to use arrows."

Ellie thinks this would be a useful function to have.

"How do you know this, Danny?"

…

Danny stands on the roof, looking over the area. It looks like they will have to jump down onto a small shack to get back to the floor. He reaches into his backpack and produced a handmade tattered notebook. The pages are fastened together with whatever he could find on his travels, things like short pieces of string and threads. He hands it to Ellie.

"This is a reference book. I gather any useful pages I find here, along with a few notes I make with helpful tips I've figured out. I made it myself, hence why it's held together by string and a few stitches here and there. It's just things like weapon and armor improvements, along with other necessary survival skills in here. I figured it would be useful to have."

…

Ellie looks over the book, which seems a bit small for what Danny is suggesting it contains. Danny lets out a small laugh, causing her to lift her head up. It's the first time she's really heard him laugh while travelling.

…

"I can tell you don't believe me, that you're skeptical. Here."

He opens the page, flicking through them. To Ellie's surprise, she sees every page is jammed full of scribbles and small diagrams, every inch is covered. Every page is crammed full of information that could easily fill ten pages. Her eyes bug out as they roam over the immense amount of information.

"Even in small areas I collect so many ideas. I keep adding to it, seeing as how paper isn't really in big supply I have to make do with whatever I can and fill what I do have as much as possible. Until I've figured out a better way to organize it, I'll be keeping this design."

Danny closes the notebook and stashes it back in his backpack. Ellie is about to walk forward, when Danny his arm out to stop her.

"Wait."

Danny points down there several wires connected to explosive charges crossing the alley way Ellie took another step she would've set them off

Ellie feels shaken up. She's the one step farther, she would've been blown to pieces by that. Booby-trap

just as almost calm down a blue wisp came out of her mouth, her own warning system that ghost was nearby. Also, she remembered her training. The first indication that her powers coming back like an advanced ability. Her faith was quickly awarded she realized her enhanced hearing

with this new information Ellie steps back, knowing full well the problem be solved when a few clickers would come up the alley and clear the way for them

"I got this."

A minute later, after a small explosion courtesy of some clickers the path to the small shed soon the only route to get deeper into the town. Before they enter the shortcut Danny's finds a small lock box on table that contains two clips and 9 mm Danny quickly took.

"Danny, wait."

…

Her words come too late. As she speaks, Danny has already opened the door to the next room and the trap has been sprung. Danny suddenly finds himself hanging upside down in the center of the warehouse, the counterweight a few feet from him out of reach.

…

"This is not good"

"I'm on the counterweight."

Ellie jumps up onto the counterweight, frantically trying to cut the rope connected to it with her knife. She freezes for a moment as she hears the roar of the infected as they charge into the warehouse.

Danny quickly takes the gun he just acquired and begins shooting. Ellie stops cutting and rushes over Danny. She opens his backpack, the content spewing onto the floor and frantically looking for something.

"Ellie, what are you doing?"

She gets down on her hands and knees.

"The rope would take forever to cut, so I go the express route."

Ellie quickly finds the bottle from earlier, then goes back to the counterweight. She pops the seal of the bottle off. She takes some of the liquid into her mouth and spits it out onto the rope. She re-seals the bottle and searches around in her backpack. She pulls out her Firestarter and clicks it next to the rope.

Danny continue shooting and starts to reload.

Crash

…

Ellie's plan works amazingly well. With the addition of the alcohol, the rope burnt through way faster than if she had continued to saw at it with her knife. The rope's age and exposure to the weather conditions also helped it to burn quicker.

Danny is back on solid ground by the time the next wave of infected arrive. He is a bit disoriented initially, but quickly shakes this off. He quickly pulls out his other pistol and goes dual action. Ellie in the meantime crouches behind the counterweight, bringing her bow up and successfully hitting shot after shot. Out of the corner of Danny's eye, he sees a figure.

…

"What the hell?"

…

The huge figure comes charging through carrying a machete. Given the size of the figure, Danny assumed it was a man. He slashes some of the infected and motions for Danny and Ellie to follow him. He is not a moment too soon as Ellie has reached her last arrow, while Danny is running low on ammo.

The next few minutes are a blur as the group run. They eventually end up in a rundown bar as the unknown man slams the door. He violently pushes Ellie back, trying to size her up. It looks like he's about to take her out, when her actions stop him.

…

"Cool, interesting set up. Like the Taj Mahal or the famous Temple Brazilian Temple."

Ellie looks around in wonder. Looking at the different tables filled with completed models and piles of boxes of half a dozen 3-D puzzles and begun. In future. It looks like Mr. Lancer is building his own miniature cavalcade of landmarks from around the world

"Good eyes, young lady it's actually an Indian temple. I still have to look up the name for. Luckily, I found a well-stocked shop in town which had quite a large inventory of landmarks 3-D puzzles."

Danny feels a little bad for Mr. Lancer. He knows how much he dreamed to travel and see global sites. It was sort of his dream other than teaching. The last time he talked to Mr. Lancer was couple weeks before the outbreak. He was being preparing to retire and finally become a global traveler. Shame the day. He finally got ready to go when the outbreak hit. Talk about irony. Danny put a comforting hand on Mr. Lancer's shoulder, realizing what this meant to him. Mr. Lancer smile appreciatively at Danny's concern.

"So, what brings you to my fine town, Mr. Fenton?"

chapter ending

writers note

I include here this seems like a good transition point. Also want to keep it nice and bite sized also still kind of long with Lancer starts explaining things. So next chapter is part two hello one-chapter visit

Mr. Lancer goes to Washington


	6. Chapter 6

Danny Phantom last of us

chapter 6

Mr. Lancer goes to Washington

"As I said. Mr. Fenton, what brings you to my fine town?"

The man takes off the welding mask and Ellie finally gets a good look at him.

He seems to be around 5'9 and is mostly bald, except for the greying black hair forming around his ears. His dark brown eyes are intelligent and his kind face holds a gentle smile.

Mr. Lancer quickly takes off his heavy armor to conserve energy. His armor seems to be a reinforced welders suit. Danny was surprised to see that Mr. Lancer is now quite in shape for a man his age. Danny feels compelled to comment on it.

"Lancer looking good, I mean I remember you from high school, a pudgy man with a definite beer belly, but now you're quite lean again. I'm proud of you man."

Mr. Lancer shakes his head and chuckles at Danny's remark.

"Thank you, Mr. Fenton. The fact that you are complimenting me in the most callous way possible shows us that some things never change. It turns out that the promotion to principal did well for my waistline. There was so much stress trying to deal with those entitled privileged twits, especially seeing as how I could not do anything to crush them. I suppose there is also this whole apocalypse as well which could have helped."

Ellie actually falls over laughing as Mr. Lancer starts flexing his bulging muscles to show off his great physique. Everyone has definitely toned up in the apocalypse.

Danny also cracks up as well. It's ironic, the teenage Danny Fenton would've never given Lance the time of day. He has learnt to respect the man and what he had to face. He supposes that it must be a matter of maturity.

"Seriously man, stop that, or we'll never get anything done."

Danny brings the conversation back on track.

"We need a car; I'm calling in everything. I need this. As well as Tess."

Mr. Lancer gives Danny a questioning look.

"Really, Danny where is Tess? You two were joined at the hip. I half expected that next time I saw you either married to her or you'd be a family. No BS with me, Danny."

Ellie giggles from across the bar, where she now sits as if she were a regular. Then it dawned on her that Tess was dead, and her face falls. Danny squirms uncomfortably realizing that Mr. Lancer was probably one of his oldest friends and deserves the truth. Danny's heart drops in his chest at the thought of Tess's body.

"Tess… didn't make it. A few days ago we were on our way out of the city. She sacrificed herself to make sure me and this little Princess here got out. She was already bitten, so…"

Danny's words get caught in his throat and his eyes begin to sting. Mr. Lancer offers him a sad smile, but doesn't press further.

"Okay then, I guess we'll working on getting a car for you. However, I can't promise that there will be one working I'm afraid."

Ellie motions over to all the abandoned cars surrounding them.

"What about all the cars I see like everywhere in every street?"

"That is not a bad question young lady, however there is an obvious flaw in your logic. The cars in the street are all broken."

Mr. Lancer points to one of the bashed up cars on the street to demonstrate his point.

"The wheels are mostly worn out from exposure to the elements. Additionally, we would need to find a way to bring it somewhere safe to work on it, and they would need a lot of work, trust me."

He strokes his chin.

"For starters, we would need new wheels and to rebuild the engine, plus god knows what else. Even using the hand tools I've scavenged, it'll still be a monstrous task. You'd have better luck finding a car locked up somewhere and fixing that."

Ellie feels sad but optimistic as she reaches over the bar, looking for something to drink. Lancer skillfully intercepts her and hands her a bottle of soda. His experience as a trained educator makes him aware of how adventurous youth can be, always going for forbidden tonic when they have a chance.

Ellie gives him a dirty look, but opens up her soda anyway.

"As I was saying, we could try to collect some parts for a working car. However, first off we need to stock up on equipment, which means getting a base of operations.

After a few minutes of prepping, the unlikely trio moved away from the bar. They make their way down the street towards a small church. The church seems secure enough. It is on high ground with walls enclosing it all the way round with very few entrances.

"Ms. Ellie please be careful."

Lancer squawks as he rushes to try and keep up with Ellie as they dispatched a few infected.

Several minutes later, they end up in the church basement. There are several workbenches of various setups surrounding them. It looks like Lancer has made each bench dedicated to a different project. On one of them are several haphazard piles of magazines and books.

Mr. Lancer turns to Danny.

"Okay. Mr. Fenton. What we need most is a battery. I just happen to know that a military convoy crashed one of their trucks into the high school a few weeks ago and they just left it."

Danny nods in acknowledgement of his statement.

"So what's the downside?"

Mr. Lancer smiles. He always did appreciate inquisitive minds.

"Excellent question, Mr. Fenton. The problem is that this part will also be the hardest to acquire. The truck in question is on the other side of town, hence the least fortified and scouted part. I personally haven't been to that side for 2 months. From my previous visits, I suspect the high school is also a nest. The infected seem to be the most concentrated there. I haven't had the resources to fortify that part of town."

Ellie shrugs nonchalantly as she flicks through the magazines.

"What's the nest, anyways?"

Mr. Lancer begins to explain.

"Yet another excellent question. It appears to be a location the infected are drawn to, even when it is cleared out. I've noticed that they appear to exhibit this behavior in place where people congregated regularly in life. That's the current theory at least."

Lancer seems to lighten up and moves with an almost inhuman spring in his step. It probably comes from the joy of having a willing student again. Danny shakes his head. Female students always seemed to react better to Lancer than male ones. These are the students he had a problem keeping focused. Lancer gets to work at one of the benches. He turns to Danny and points over to one of the workbenches.

"Mr. Fenton, if you would be so kind as to gather up a few things for me. We need those shotguns, shells and that little device there."

Danny gathers up the equipment and brings it over to Lancer. Lancer holds up a small metal device with nails sticking out of it.

"This is a nail bomb. I'm going to demonstrate how it works and show the range of the damage. MS Ellie, could you please step behind that barricade over there with Mr. Fenton."

They did not need to be asked twice. Without further ado, the trio get into position behind the barricade. Lancer throws the small metal device. It lands a few feet away from them and almost immediately explodes, sending metal fragments in every direction. Some of them get stuck in the wall and work benches.

"Yikes"

Ellie jumps back from the barricade as she sees a sharp piece of metal fly towards the barricade and hit into it with a loud clang. Lancer chuckles at her shock.

"Okay, that one is a little stronger than usual, so make sure you're at least 5 to 10 feet from it when it goes off or you go to get shredded as well."

Lancer turns to Danny.

"Anyway, Mr. Fenton, when you prepare the weapons, I believe you will wish to make a few modifications to the equipment. I would like to show our young associate something."

Mr. Lancer motions Ellie to join him over by a larger map posted on the wall of the United States with several marking showing the current situation.

"What do I need to know Mr. Lancer?"

Mr. Lancer clears his throat.

"I'm assuming you're not from around here from my general observations, your kind of out of the loop about what's going on here, so I should explain a few things."

Ellie looks conflicted, but at the same time interested to learn something.

"A few months ago. A young lady who looked very similar to you passed through. I believe her name was Iris. That young lady made a point of mentioning several things, including describing you. She even left a photograph. I actually agreed that if I met you, I would share my wisdom with you."

Lancer pulls the photo of Ellie with a slightly older girl with long black hair and piercing green eyes. From the way the girls were dressed, it looks to be schoolgirl outfits.

Ellie pulls back, finding it hard to hold in her happiness that her sister Iris was alive a few months ago and still on the search. She holds her heart tight not to get her hopes up that she shall see her again soon. Thankfully, she keeps her posture awake but neutral.

"Okay."

Mr. Lancer points to the map.

"As you look at the map here, what's the most noticeable to you?"

Ellie looks over the map and notices the California Republic, the city state of Amity Park and the fortress city of Middleton also, the city state of Gotham city.

"California Republic, Amity Park and Fortress city of Middleton…what are they?"

Mr. Lancer looks thoughtful.

"Excellent question. After the outbreak, people generally went into panic mode. Panic mode seems to become the norm after disasters, and probably ends up causing more damage and loss of life than the actual outbreak itself. So let's start with the California Republic. The fault line that ran across that region erupted with a massive earthquake. Luckily, instead of the region falling off as most people predicted it would, it creates a massive mountain range. With this new mountain, they could create a natural barrier between California and the rest the country. Only a dangerous pass provided access from one side to the other people. The pass is very dangerous so everyone refers to it as the gauntlet. The only safe way across is by flying over."

Ellie shakes her head thinking things over and asks what she believes is the obvious question.

"What about entering from Canada? I assume the new mountain range doesn't go all the way up to the Alaska right?"

"Quite right. Eventually the mountains end soon after entering Canada. Unfortunately, with the existing topography in Canada hitting the new mountain range it created a jaded region from California going across the country covering most the Canadian and US border. Over 85% of the land crossing is now secure, which itself is referred to as the crooked Highlands".

Ellie fails to see the appeal of this.

"Why would they want to go there?"

"California was progressive with equal rights, advanced nuclear power, solar, wind, etc. which means they had plenty of power. On top of that, their aggressive techniques having removable farming techniques plus the food from the ocean, a large functional civilian government and a responsible militia. What comes with this?"

Ellie shrugs momentarily and then she knows the answer.

"A massive safe haven with little to no infected and no fascist regime to deal with."

Ellie head pounds as she tries to consider the options here.

"So, no martial law. What about LA and how is this important?"

"One of the first things the military government did was to bomb cities, turning central downtowns into massive craters to try and reduce the numbers infected. This also crippled the infrastructure and increased panic. Unfortunately, this had a minimum effect on the infected. Anyone with half a brain would recognize that the infected spread out and move more like wave across the land seeking their target. They don't just wait around in the middle of the street waiting to be slaughtered."

Ellie shifts thinking about this thing of her own experience and what she considers her homeland Paris and how her mother led the charge securing the city.

"Simple. The California Republic ignored what the US government said. They instead decide to cut themselves off in one area and hastily constructed a massive wall to protect them. They made sure to clear out every area in the vicinity of infected. Yes, this took time and yes lives were lost because of it, but the thoroughness worked. Within about a year, they were for the most part infected free in their community."

"What about LA?"

Mr. Lancer continues.

"They sealed up the area and left the different factions to fight it out. After this, they went back and cleared everything else out. Any lingering military presence were given a choice, either side with the Republic or were removed permanently. It was almost a year and a half before they got LA back free from threats, enough said."

Ellie sits attentively focused on Lancer as he talks, while Danny works away a workbench on his weapons.

"The fallout from that created the mountain region along the upper part of the country those crooked Highlands. They were sort of like endless hills and balks which were filled with beasts, disaster, natural disasters and marauders. There's even a Valley called the earthquake zone. It was designed to have constant earthquakes to relieve the pressure from fault line and succeeded perfectly."

Ellie is starting to wonder what this have to do with the other things.

Part of Ellie wonders whether the teacher has lost his marbles.

…

However, she has learned from her experiences and from her lessons with her aunts and her mother that sometimes the longest explanations tied together in the most unexpected of ways. Ellie decided to stay focused and attentive, knowing that the point to all this will reveal itself in time.

…

"This demonstrates that some areas are better of going independent during the crisis, like the fortress city of Middleton. Middleton was a hub of technology and medical research having two research centers, a space center and a massive medical research center as well as several universities. Also they have the head of global law enforcement agency. When the crisis hit, they followed other's lead and went independent, walling off the city. They had to sacrifice a lot of building materials to construct the massive walls, but it worked. With them cut off, they had no influx of refugees or infected storming in and making things worse. Scientists and medical professionals kept a level head and stopped the infection from spreading. They only lost 520 people in total. Considering the casualties everywhere else, that is amazing. Their biggest limitation was food supplies. Luckily for them, they traded their technological ability and machinery knowledge with places like the California republic and Amity Park for food and weapons."

Ellie's head is almost exploding from information overload, but she needs this, so she pushes on.

"They destroyed the neighboring town. Why did the residents agree?"

Lancer pauses for a moment.

"Simple, for safety. Those residents in neighboring towns needed the useful supplies of Middleton, such as automated war machines for defense, medical supplies, materials for the fortified wall and people with knowledge to lead them. In return, they were kept safe."

Ellie considers what Lancer is saying.

"There were only three options: run and take your chances, find a military quarantine zone or lastly if you're lucky your town was successful in banding together. Just because a lot of places chose the latter, doesn't mean they were successful. The California Republic, Middleton and Amity Park are success stories. They are probably dozens of other that didn't make it. I guess from your experience; you know how most quarantine zones didn't work. Quarantine zones are not perfect solutions, but then neither are any of the alternatives."

Boom

Lancer and Ellie turn to look over to the loud noise, which came from where Danny is working.

"Mr. Fenton, I'll assume you have had some success. Are you ready to go?"

Danny looks up and smiles from the workbench he is working at. Lancer and Ellie move over to Danny. Ellie starts to make way over to Danny but stops halfway. She noticed a table with several long bricks of what appears to be modelling clay, several caps and some wire.

"Careful there, Ms. Ellie. Those bricks are C4s, as well as some blasting caps and primer wire. Be very careful with those."

Danny finishes off what he is doing, wiping his brow.

"As you have pointed out, we have been using homemade knives as both weapons and lock picks, and these break very quickly. Thanks to this reinforced melted hunk of metal, you gave me, I just made some spare blades for Ellie's knife."

Danny holds up some of the new curved knives he made. From the reinforced steel, he has made three additional spares, which he puts in his backpack. He also puts the spare blades he made for Ellie knife in his backpack as well.

"Anyways, the improvements are done. Let's go."

What neither of them notice on the way out is that Ellie quickly grabs one of the bricks, the wire and a handful of the blasting caps and jams them into her backpack, shifting the P90 in a few books and a CD.

The new party proceeds to leave the church and starts crossing the far end of town to where the high school and the battery is.

"Which way from here, Mr. Lancer?" Danny mentions after they get out of the church.

Mr. Lancer points down an overgrown path.

"We cut through the graveyard and the side paths to a small housing development that you take this the back of the school then cut into the school grabbed the battery then exit out the back. Behind the school is another neighborhood, that's our final destination. It is a safe house the side of the wall the far-east side of the school. I haven't been in a while, but it is secure. It would take a tank to take-out that house."

Mr. Lancer stops beside the stairway leading to the lower path and picks up a shovel and hands it to Ellie.

"Ellie this is close quarters when we get to the school backyards and alleyways. It's a good spot you to practice your takedown technique. You take point with me behind you and Danny in reserve."

Danny doesn't like the idea of Ellie going first, but he swallows his protests as he realizes the reason behind Mr. Lancer's suggestion. She needs to know how to defend herself against the infected.

"Before we get too far. Ms. Ellie in the last city you asked about Amity Park. It's mine and Mr. Fenton's hometown. We go way back before any of this. The town was famous for being the center of paranormal activity, namely ghosts for several years. They actually proved the existence of such creatures and they became a common occurrence for the whole world. We even had a ghost hero that save the world at one point and brought everyone together for common good."

Ellie physically restrains herself to keep from jumping for joy hearing that her original hometown as she heads down the path of the others following her.

"After the incident. Carmen Know as Phantom planet people knew that the supernatural existed, namely ghosts and ghost can be good, bad and somewhere in between. But somehow within a year of this truth coming out, nearly everyone seemed to forget. I still haven't figured out how like 90% of the world forgot such a major event in the nausea came with it. I'm one the few still remember. A few of us talked about it and name because the supernatural namely ghost all even both. We just superhuman powers and abilities. And people just weren't ready to deal. You all know how some nations and individuals take such knowledge good and bad."

Ellie knows that the Fenton ghost portal was shut down and locked. Somehow that action had created sort of a ripple effect that made all other natural portals unstable. This had been common knowledge where Ellie grew up, even grade school children knew this. Her face frowns deeply at this knowledge.

"But the town invested heavily in a ghost shield, automated weapons systems and power systems. Which were quickly converted into an energy wall, isolating the whole town when the outbreak happened. They quickly marshalled land and started growing food. It was tough for the first few years, but they succeeded. As for dealing with the outbreak, the town was used to dealing with hostile situations and affected pathogens. I.e. some of fallout from ghosts. So they had procedures and skilled personnel to take care of business."

Ellie pauses feeling anger in her heart. Something about hearing about that town made her blood boil.

"Unfortunately sacrifices were needed for the whole town to survive so a small portion of the population was exiled. 200 of us left through an airlock they built it as a shield. I volunteered. After I left, I travelled the country. Now I know so much. The situation out there until I found this place a few years ago."

They have arrived at the entrance to the small suburbs and they start with lifting Ellie over the barricade into the back alley in the suburbs. The point of no return and the journey to school.

"I suspected Mr. Fenton left town when he and his fiancée Miss Samantha finally got together, after that witch Paulina tried breaking them up. Given that Mr. Fenton had lost most of his connections in the town at that point."

Ellie is so glad that Mr. Lancer respects the fact that her mother hated her family last name given how things went with them in Amity Park.

"I did not marry Sam, I married the witch, given that she was pregnant at the time with Sarah, not that it matters because she left me. Then she pulled some legal crap and got the marriage annulled." Danny mutters, not realizing that he mentions the last part out loud.

Ellie smiles. She's got him. Danny has no option. He has to talk about Sam now. With that she continues creeping up on the zombie in the alley to the far left and jumps up, stabbing it in the front as she jumps on it. Unfortunately, Ellie doesn't compensate for its sudden movements as her legs swing every which way a bucking bronco before it goes down, the noise summoning a few more infected to join them.

Lancer takes on the two next Ellie and Danny finishes off the one to come up from the side.

"I guess the alley is clear now, moving across the yard to the garage up the street there. There should be a few more supplies here before we make a push to the houses as we travel. Mr. Fenton, the floor is yours. Educate us on Sam, I insist."

Danny rubs the back of his neck. Inside, Danny is cursing Lancer. He has him by the balls. Danny would've never graduated from high school or even had a decent job if Lancer hadn't been at his back and believed in him. Danny had never really paid Lancer back for that. Now he's cashing in big time.

Any resolve Danny has left is broken when he looks at Ellie's face. Her eyes plead with him to divulge information about Sam. He sighs in defeat.

"Okay, you two win. Sam and I grew up together, we had been best friends since we were about 3 years old. We did everything together. It was awkward in middle school when I suddenly realized that she was actually a girl, and a pretty cute one at that. When we hit high school, I also realized that I really liked being around her and as more than friends."

"What helped you to start to realize that?" Ellie pushes impatiently, wanting to hear more craving it like a starving dog on a piece of meat.

"In middle school. It was customary that the seniors go on a camping trip for week. before me and Sam always make fun. Our favorite tradition was pulling pranks in the middle of the night. Sam always was better at planning those than me. This year for some reason that's also when they start separating the boys and girls. So even without Sam at night, I continued on the prank as usual barely got with it without her. Then we had to run like hell and cut through another camp."

"Turns out it's where the girls were camped. I ended up in the tent that Sam was sharing with Valerie and Star. Sam was in the process of trying to take off her bra as she put on her sleep shirt. Valerie was assisting her and Valerie was already topless."

Danny stops for moment, thinking things over and continues scanning the house. He signals for the others to follow across a large yard.

"With that one look at Sam there, it just snap in my head. It was almost a month later that I realized that Valerie was there and also topless. Ironically Valerie joked later that if I had turned my head I would've caught Star sleeping naked. That would've been very educational. I mean I'd seen girl's underwear and girls wearing underwear, etc. but it had always been my sister. That doesn't count. This was someone I wasn't related to. And it was my Sam so enough said. After that we moved to high school and realize I was feeling more and more for her. But I wasn't quite sure what yet."

Mr. Lancer shakes his head and starts hoisting Ellie over a fence to another yard. He also mentions that once she landed she should wait for the other two catch-up before engaging any enemies.

"Things change after the ghost portal incident. She nearly died. That wasn't her fault she believes. I nearly died that's it her fault. A lot of guilt between us. After the portal started working and ghosts were coming through, Sam, me, my brother Tucker and my older sister started dealing with them. In retrospect we should've told an adult not tried to do it on our own, you know."

Mr. Lancer nods.

"I remember that, Mr. Fenton. I was wondering why your grades tanked and why you always skipping class. I thought you were a delinquent or something. Eventually, I figured out that you've taken on some form of responsibility you had that look like a firefighter or soldier. The look of a protector who takes the hit for everyone else. Problem with that is the people with THOSE jobs have the hardest time asking for help. Eventually you did and we turned things around."

Ellie refuses to move, acting like she was catching her breath debating what to do next, hoping Danny would continue.

"We thought it helped a lot of people, some good some bad. Eventually our friend Valerie joined us."

Danny shook his head, remembering that initially Valerie came on side the conflict between her and Sam. He swore at one point he had his own Betty and Veronica thing going on there. Again, like a light switch they finally started trust each other. But it was hard, especially when Danny and Valerie briefly dated freshman year. Sam's jealousy almost went nuclear. What was worse, Sam did not realize she was doing it.

"I'm so glad I never told Sam that we actually slept together. Valerie thankfully adored Sam and stated her as one of her closest friends. Even though Sam treated her pretty badly, kept her arm's length at the time. It's ironic, those two were actually like sisters or something. Given how close they were and how deeply they cared for each other. That's why Valerie was glad I never told Sam about that."

Ellie stomps forward and sees the next target. A clicker. She proceeds to slide forward and smashes the clicker in the leg, knocking it down. Then she smashes it in the face with her shovel while standing over the clicker. She pivots and smashes the next infected. Other infected come at her, drawn by the noise from smashing the other clicker in the face. She didn't pivot back, letting the new infected fall on top of the clicker. She knocked it down pinning it to the ground.

She then turns and pivots, swinging the shovel at the same time.

With that Ellie swings the shovel but the base now out on its side like a blade and smashes it into another infected head knocking it down. She then moves the shovel and spears it to death in the face. She turns to the last infected and suites is a shovel hitting its legs. She quickly finishes off the remaining infected. Leaving the clicker. She started with still hands the last.

Mr. Lancer continues by bashing a few more infected. Danny grabs Ellie's bow and empties a few arrows into the last infected.

"Impressive Ms. Ellie. You got five at once."

"I wouldn't be too excited, we just finished a few more off and commotion drew 4 more. If we, when not with you, you would've been overwhelmed. In future I suggest you killed the clicker straightaway then take the rest. By disabling it but not finishing it. It was summoning reinforcements. Eventually those reinforcements would overwhelm you" Danny lectures Ellie

"Or set up an ambush and then bring them toward you after you kill the clicker." Lancer sees the correct Danny for what he believes the better strategy Ellie these future

He pushes them over to a small garage and opens the back door.

Inside Lancer starts rummaging through the cabinet eventually. Some heavy work gloves and 10 more arrows. He also has some kind of weird strap to Ellie's a little over that's attached to her backpack.

Ellie tries on the gloves.

"As I mentioned summer after freshman year for some misadventures Sam, Star and Valerie. They finally got the friendship in order. To be honest all I could say was about bloody time.

Sam luckily had some sense kicked into her head when it came to Star and Valerie if you could actually be her friends if she left them. I still don't know what weird bonding thing they did together on a girl's night I think I'm better off not knowing.

She'd know them almost her entire childhood, but she never acted like they were her friends just, you know people she was stuck with on the bus."

Ellie leans against the side of the garage looking out the open door to the alley way. Luckily half of the garage is blocked by a badly parked car, leaving only a narrow space between the cars end other side of the garage opening.

Lancer every so often kneels over Danny. Giving him some suggestions. And instructions that he's working on the workbench in the garage.

"Eventually in our second year of high school something important happened. Me and Sam got together. One look at her when we came back the summer after freshman year and couldn't deny how I felt about her."

Ellie finds herself rushing from head to toe thinking a newly filled about Sam coming back after summer freshman year and Danny noticing her.

"I realize I was head over heels in love with her and she was with me. What took us so long to defiantly get together was that we were both scared of messing things up. Given how long we knew each other. Losing our friendship, the biggest fear was hurting each other. But in retrospect I think they're in love since we first saw each other in our so-called friendship was just holding action until we realized the truth."

Danny examines the modification done to the quiver and nods encouragingly. He shows it to Ellie again. She quickly realizes what it was, it is the device Danny mentioned earlier. The one for keeping the arrows from falling out if the quiver was upside down.

"Were there any problems between you two?"

Danny sighs.

"There were a few bumps on the road here and there, like the time I found Sam in bed with Valerie. However, this actually worked out well in the end. They impulsively decided to invite me to join them as well. It was then we found out the Valerie was bisexual."

"Mr. Fenton, you are the only man I know to complain that his girlfriend and her best friend would simultaneously drag him into a three-way as a bad thing."

Danny shakes his head trying to clear his thoughts and says the first response that came to mind given how he feels about Valerie.

"That's not the problem is given how my feelings changed towards Valerie I have point, is basically my girlfriend. Sam asked me to hop into bed with her and my sister Jazz and maybe with a bit of Danielle on the side of. Point is so freakishly wrong."

Ellie is freaked out by the mental imagery that Danny just brought up. Valerie part so much making her mother and her aunt kind of makes her feel kind of nauseous. She desperately tries to keep her composure tries to move the topic on.

"Why would she leave you?"

Danny considers it for moment before deciding to go with flat-out honesty as he worked on the gloves.

"The third and fourth year of high school were hard for us. What with what happened to Star, the attack on the Casper Queen contest, Valerie being impaled, Sam being critically injured along with several other girls, Danielle disappearing when someone blocked Sam's attempts to adopt her and then the death of Sam's grandmother, which happened because of someone refusing to get medical aid when she collapsed. On top of this, there was me proposing to her and the trial of Paulina where she got off by cheating. Then finally the fourth year when we had the fight over issues being moody and angry all the time. I thought we'd broken up. So I went to a party and end up sleeping with Paulina. Later on Paulina told me she was pregnant. That's when Sam left me. I didn't realize until later that Paulina set me up. By that point, Sam was gone. "

Ellie's head spins with the implications of what Danny just dropped on her, the blunt truth hits Ellie hard, like the very ground beneath her has disappeared. The fundamental building blocks of the universe has changed. She thinks if she wasn't leaning against the wall right now her legs would probably buckle underneath her and she would've collapsed in an untidy mess.

"How did Paulina set you up?"

Danny sighs as he remembers.

"She was always jealous of Sam. She spent all of high school systematically removing everything Sam had, her friends and her family. Hell, she let Sam's grandmother die just to screw Sam over. Ironically, she got away with this because I never knew and who would believe someone would be that the vindictive over such a petty reason. She always planned it out."

"Paulina always had some kind of contingency plan. She knew the true actions would come out eventually she had some way my time. She performed damage control or she was a victim or something. Point is, by time you found out. The last drawing your head will be punching her in the face would be comforting her. Trying to make her feel better."

"So she's a silver tongued liar, but always talk to way out of punishment, right?" Ellie fires back her words filled with truckloads of venom.

Danny takes a steadying breath. The next part is going to be hard he knew it.

"At the party. She saw I was there and sad she saw I had a drink. So she drugs me. Her plan was to get some kind of picture or evidence then show it to Sam that I was having an affair. She was not expecting to end up with child. She finally got her victory. To break Sam and take her man from her. I think she finally left me when she realizes Sam was not coming back to rescue me from her. She had her victory. I think in a twisted mind. She found the victory completely empty, like above her audience or a loser for her torment show off perfectly seems kind of pointless her. So she had no idea how to be happy when she had without seeing someone else miserable. I guess."

Danny stands up from the workbench rapidly, knocking over the chair. Obvious frowns of anger on his face then turns and offers Ellie the formal welding gloves. The fingers cut just below the joint in the fingers. Also a large metal bar at across the top of the knuckles were any notes reinforced palm.

Lancer proceeds to place them on Ellie's hands. Her arms hang loose by the extra weight.

"They're heavy, why is the metal on top and wide reinforced palm and no fingers."

Lancer begins to explain.

"Simple, reinforced palm means when you stab the victims with your knife you can now grab their face, you can do this with infected like clickers. And they won't be able to bite you. The fingers give you greater movement. And lastly the metal on top when you make a fist work as a form of brass knuckles inquiry but the metal here is much stronger. You should be able to punch out a clicker with these. As for the weight. You can use them. Just keep wearing them for now on new build of the muscle needed."

Ellie tenses her hands with the new gloves realizing she will need to practice with these for now on. Gaining some muscle will definitely help her in the long-term. Lancer continues his explanations.

"As for your knife technique. You should wrap your legs around her target and lock your feet then you can you should have left hand grab the jaw of your victim eager to silenced them or smother them. Pull back their head. The stature knife and multiple times or cut long. If you gain your muscle mass in your legs can also squeeze them grading greater damage. Scores on your heels you can also dig demand your target as well. You just need to practice a little"

Ironically, as Mr. Lancer mentions new technique to Ellie, a clicker wanders in front of the garage opening attracted by the noise of Danny modifying the gloves. Ellie quickly sprints off and jumps on the clicker, luckily it was still turning following glances technique. She quickly wraps her legs around the clicker locking her ankles and grabs its chest with her new gloves and then stabs it with her knife.

Victory, Danny cheers answered quickly and the alley behind Ellie strongest weapon in motion Danny to follow. Unfortunately, 3 clickers were following their friend and now came rushing towards them.

Ellie jumps up and starts swinging with her new fists aiming straight for the clicker's heads. Ellie then pivots and does a leg sweep knocking the clickers down. She follows up with several rapid hits. She is glad to hear the satisfying cracking of their heads signaling that all of them are dead.

"See told you." Mr. Lancer lectures to them.

"Can we finally get to the school?"

Lancer nods.

"It should be easy from here."

Several minutes of hard-core running and hitting later, the unlikely party find themselves in front of the truck and the high school.

Ellie mentions with manic intensity as she holds the front door close. Danny quickly rolls over several shelves and knocks them over, pushing them up against the door.

"Remember what I said about nests. This is exactly what happens. I was here a few weeks ago and there were only a handful when I cleared them out. Now there's an army here."

Lancer squawks madly as he heads to the truck. Danny continues frantically moving more items in front of the door.

"Hurry guys."

Lancer quickly approaches the front of the truck to look for the battery and slams it down.

"It's not here. Great engine. If had time to salvage it. But no battery."

"What do we do?"

"We run."

Ellie turns and starts running down hall way going deeper into the school. Danny quickly looks at the truck and takes the winch, attaching it to far wall. He activates it, drawing the truck across the way blocking half the room and then proceeds to follow Ellie.

Lancer seems to produce a small welding torch from his backpack and uses it to make some welds on Danny's makeshift barricade against the door increasing its strength immeasurably.

"When on earth for you. Hiding that small welding torch Mr. Lancer?"

"It's part of my equipment. Ms. Ellie I recommend for the future when you meet new traveling companions, you ask what equipment they're carrying. That way you know what you have on hand in future situations."

"Enough. Follow me," Ellie says this and rockets down the Hall. Using a shovel in one hand and her reinforced fist in the other she manages to quickly subdue a few infected as they pass.

"Ms. Ellie please do not do that again. We just had to run our asses off across 5 classrooms with 20 infected on our asses chasing us, because when you pass them you only clipping them on the way by and not finish them."

"It was just bad luck."

"Done." Danny mentioned nonchalantly, as he joined them in the new room.

Danny stands behind Ellie and Mr. Lancer as he left yet another hallway, leaving any infected that might still be lurking the school behind. Looking around they realize they're now in large gymnasium. There were bleachers on the far left which you could use to climb through the window that leads outside. Scattered around the gymnasium were several barricades and luggage, looking like it's been used as makeshift staging area. This closed doors at the far and needing to her utility room.

"Okay I understand we're in a gymnasium. But why is there luggage here. And what's with the mushroom growth by back door to the utility room." Ellie mentions nonchalantly for Danny finally joins Ellie and Mr. Lancer examining the room.

Danny quickly grabs Ellie and moves behind the pile of luggage, Lancer joins them.

"Okay, no spores. Thank the gods. But there has to be something here to have that much growth."

Crash

The back doors of the gym rip open and out comes a very large Bloater which starts making its way toward the trio.

"Anyone got a plan?"

"What weapons do we have?"

"We got one Molotov cocktail and one nail bomb, plus our shotguns and bow."

Ellie quickly takes a peek at the new arrival and thanks the gods that Iris show her how to take down these are bad boys. Despite the girth, the legs are still quite weak also quite probable that most infected to explosive and flame.

"Okay, Lancer you take the nail bomb. Use it after my signal. The signal if after I make it eat the nail bomb. That's when Danny you. With Molotov cocktail then and still going we empty clip into it.

Ellie quickly grabs the shotgun and darts out, zigzagging towards the Bloater and Lancer, realizing what she has planned, quickly tosses the nail bomb programs right in front of the Bloater. After Lancer does his part, he quickly starts providing covering fire for Ellie and Danny as the focus on the big one here.

Ellie quickly slides to the right and brings up the shotgun point-blank and shoots one of the boomer's legs, firing 4 shots rapidly at the Bloater. It falls forward landing completely on the nail bomb. Danny finally gets wind and tosses the Molotov cocktail onto the Bloater.

The commotion seems to draw the other infected around the Bloater like they're forming a group to attack. The Molotov burns all of them.

Boom

The Bloater shifts and starts to stand up again. Danny fires a few rounds into it. It slumps back and falls to the floor, no longer moving. Danny wipes his brow after the difficult confrontation.

"Okay that's done."

"Incoming."

4 more infected seem to appear out of nowhere. With Danny's twin pistols, Lancer's machete and Ellie quickly shooting the bow the infected go down fast.

Ellie points to the huge deformed body.

"What the hell was that?"

Mr. Lancer clears his throat.

"I've seen one before. I call them Bloaters. A friend taught me how to kill them. They act as a kind of general to the infected. They are drawn to it briefly after it is killed. We should be clear now."

Ellie motions nonchalantly as she quickly reloads the shotgun and checks some of the bags for anything useful.

"The bleachers to the left. We climb up those and out the window to get out of this damn school. It should be a short hike from there."

Lancer and Danny start up the bleachers. Ellie is where the Bloater came from into the back room. She knows the small blue mist from her mouth. Looking closely, she notices a small portal about the size of a dime.

"A broken ghost portal," Ellie squawked to herself.

That's what attracts the infected which her seeing confirms that. What she need to know was, why?

Out of a side pocket of her backpack she pulls out what looks at first to be blue lipstick. As she was trained by Iris, she uses its isotope to mark the area for disposal. She hopes the satellite in orbit still on and taking out the signal.

"Another crack taking care of." Ellie announces into the silence even though she's alone in the room,

Ellie then proceeds to catch up with the others.

A mad dash later, the heroes make their way over the fences and the back alley, the safe house. To the safe house. The house itself is quite impressive made of solid cinderblock covered with siding and metal plate attached to it. It's more of an over built bunker than a house. Once inside, Lancer motion then the spread out and makes sure it was secure.

"I think it's secure. What do we do now? We still need to get a car." Ellie announces nonchalantly as she makes her way to the right which is where the kitchen and the garage are.

Danny mentions as he enters the living room.

"Guys I found the battery. It is in the truck in the garage. It seems to be in working condition and there are a bunch of supplies here by someone was doing a runner." Ellie cheerfully announces like a happy children's show announcer

Ellie mentions as she returns from the garage, her arms folded across her chest. Looking up into the living room. She notices a man in a white shirt hanging from the ceiling.

"Frank." Lancer announces coldly.

Danny covers his mouth, keeping himself from saying something completely stupid.

"You know him?" Ellie asks trying to get the conversation moving. She notices that her to associates seem to be deadlocked.

Lancer shakes his head, his eyes downcast.

"Frank." Danny mentions to the room again.

"I know it's Frank, why is that important?"

Ellie is getting annoyed with this back and forth.

"Let me guess using reason why you volunteered to leave Amity Park Right Lancer. He might've been an amazing running the best coffee shop in town, even beating three extension attempts from other major chains. But as a person is a colossal pain in the ass. He made point in every civic decision he would always fight tooth and nail over every detail in the point slow everything down. In the outbreak he probably did the same thing and people died. Then it just tells the last straw out. He went. That's probably the reason why you stayed at the other places you mentioned right?"

Danny looks away mentioning this knowing it hurt. The sad truth. He just hit Mr. Lancer with.

"Frank and I have been together since college, he is to be so laid back when it came to civic decisions. He saw the abuse of power before in crisis, they steamrolled their agenda like killing civil liberties. He made his point the voice of reason to keep that from ever happening again, but he took it too far. After the outbreak he just went completely anal about decisions made by everyone's opinions have to be heard every angle had to be seen. Imagine debating every point on how the wording of how you should be arguing over it. It's insane. It was just too much."

Ellie shrugs, leaning against the wall and finally letting arms down from her chest. Ellie answers them in a blunt fashion. It's elephant in the room. It everyone seemed to be avoiding.

"So the hanging guy in the ugly shirt is Frank and was Lancer's boyfriend for like forever, but obviously he's here. He's skipping out. So what's the deal?" Ellie melds with the brutality of a sledgehammer to the face/

Lancer shifts as he cut Frank down the body. As it hits the floor, he looks up and answers Ellie.

"A blunt and brutal as a kick to the head Ms. Ellie, but you're quite right in the end. When it was just me he started attacking me over every decision, especially his unwillingness to try for the battery. It wasn't worth the risk. Just simple greed. As for need like you to end it is worth it. So I left and tried to cash in. I guess he got infected on about the school. We should..."

Lancer stops for moment and considers something. He looks at Ellie and motions for Danny to go up the staircase and starts clearing a path to the second floor moving the jostled furniture. Ellie wonders in confusion.

"Ms. Ellie your shirt and jacket have been destroyed. You need a replacement. If you noticed there was a girl lived here. I doubt she took her all of her wardrobe with her."

Ellie's quickly shoves upstairs by Lancer salvage new clothing. She is ashamed to admit looking down at her shredded shirt. Only a few pieces of fabric keep her from being completely topless. Ironically, this how she lost the last three shirts and hoodies.

"It was quite a struggle. We managed to find something to Ms. Ellie, it appears young lady lives here is more girly girl. Then tough tomboy. Most of the outfit found dresses, high heels and skirts."

Ellie comes down to starting the long these shirts with the neck portion down the front of the chest was a lace mesh with you look closely you see almost everything underneath compensates covered it with a tank top finishing off with red sports jacket and went down to just below her rear.

A few minutes later they try the truck and push it down the road, eventually starting it up and get in driving out the noise attacked several affected chase after them.

On the outskirts they dropped off some Mr. Lancer wave them goodbye.

"Good luck. Mr. Fenton."

He reaches in the car added Ellie on the head.

"Good luck Ms. Danielle and hope you find Iris and accept that Danny really cares for you."

Ellie looks complex, but accepts Lancers words of wisdom is a drive off.

A few minutes later Lancer returns to town and turns into the main path to the church crossing by the high school. He is surprised by the massive amount of infected now heading towards him.

Just as he thinks he is doomed, a woman in red armor and several others appeared and he sees them slaughter the infected left and right.

In orbit satellite. Ellie hope that was still operation passed overhead. If sensors picking up the modified radioactive isotope she tagged the portal with the carryout predetermined instructions. It quickly activated its target sensors and wounded. It's special energy charge at indirectly act the isotope signature and fires with deadly accuracy shot length straight down crashing through the roof of The school feeding directly into the storage closet in the gymnasium. Its target the dime sized portal collapses in a minor explosion of blue energy ways out in every direction from it in the infection seem to be driven away feeling the waves himself is almost toxic to them

At the same time the remaining infected seem to almost flee from the area.

Chapter ending


	7. Chapter 7

Danny Phantom last of us

chapter 7

Border town

It's been three days since they left. Mr. Lancer the trip so far everything is perfect. Danny and Ellie are currently stopped for a rest stop waiting for Danny to refill the truck with more gas using what he referred to as credit card. Ellie just wants to say what it is a hosted he uses steel gas crashed cars at this rest stop.

"Okay. Ellie we're done here. Get back to the truck and we will be on our way."

Ellie proceeds to reach the driver side to get in and drive again. Danny interrupts her and takes the driver seat.

"I think you have done enough driving for now young lady. It's my turn anyways."

Ellie is still shocked that, almost a few hours after leaving Mr. Lancer, Danny had insisted she take a turn behind the wheel. He gradually taught her the rules of the road. In retrospect, it had been a great idea. None of Ellie's previous travelling companions had been bothered with that particular lesson, not even Iris, something that surprised her.

"So I noticed you keep looking over your shoulder while you were driving looking for something. Is this about what Lancer told you?"

"He said there was a woman circus out here. I should be careful."

"What's that?" Danny is surprised there is a circus out here he hadn't heard of.

Ellie shifts noncommittally in the passenger seat before she answers his question.

"Supposedly after being kicked out of various groups. The wing nuts were just fundamentals, militia types misogynists etc. all found themselves exiled together and the group. This motley crew came upon an old circus. They found a few girls' still their daughters of the original performers or something. The word was a couple acrobats fire eater, etc."

"So what does it have to be so afraid of, especially for you?"

Danny unduly felt uncomfortable and how Ellie was talking of this new problem they have to worry about

"well, well the circus girls eventually escaped but the other girls that were met along the way weren't so lucky. So you fringe groups now one posse you will

"Well, they kind of restart circus enslaving the girls. They eventually escaped, but the rest of us weren't so lucky. So now this group of fundamental crazies move up and down the land entertaining as circus

unfortunately, they don't tell you the type of entertainment is having girls and young women. They capture perform."

"Okay, this sounds bad. What kind of entertainment were they providing anyways?"

Danny has a feeling he knows exactly what they were doing. Ellie answers stone-faced.

"Initially they perform additional carnival acts, but then there's a twist. The girls start performing pendants beating, torture self-mutilation and eventually rape. Hell, they even encourage that if you think a girl isn't being punished enough by performing, you could leave the stands walk right into the middle of the show and take a girl. This performing any way you please. Bottom line they believe that if enough women and girls are forced back into their place, the world would be restored to what it was, sort of the Garden of Eden."

Danny looks over at Ellie and suddenly realizes exactly why this fairy-tale scared her so badly. She's openly carrying three weapons and as a young girl was standing tall. Unless Ellie start acting like an indentured servant or his love slave, they would probably try to attack her on site and break her or worse. This is a sobering thought for Danny.

"I've never actually seen one of these Ellie, a functioning circus that's making its point to basically torture girls and force people to watch. I doubt that you keep running in the wastelands between zones a very long. Think about it logically supply wise."

Ellie considers logistics food, shelter weaponry fuel. Plus, carrying out their particular task one hard winter would kill them off. Ellie face seems to relax, thinking that it is not exactly a major threat.

"Anyways that the tales of dragons and guys in power armor running around from some government vault those just urban legends of the wastelands. We can't concern ourselves with it focus on what we can see."

Ellie considers this and she's besides to amuse herself from backpack and pulled out magazine start looking at it. Danny when the paid much heed until Ellie flipped the magazine start pulling on a foldout.

"Ellie that is not the type of magazine you should be looking at."

"Wait, I'm wondering what all the hubbub is about. How can a guy sit with that thing? I can't imagine putting something like that inside me."

Danny's hands turn white with stress as he holds the steering wheel with a dead man's grip. Thoughts run through his head of the exact magazine Ellie is reading. Just the thought of a girl her age staring at that didn't seem right to him.

"It's not right for someone your age to look at that."

"Hold your horses and get a good look at this."

Danny does a ham-handed attempt with one hand to get the magazine of still keeping control of the car

"I don't think this is my thing. Anyways the pages are stuck together. Somehow, I gross."

Ellie dumped the magazine of the window much to Danny's relief as Ellie comments, "Later boys."

She turns back to Danny.

"Anyways, got something for you. Some music."

Ellie gives Danny a CD. He reads the name and mumbles it's a good one and why not.

"It's a little before my time. Even I'm not this old," Danny quickly answers, the uninformed question for Ellie squawk away.

Ellie giggles, realizing Danny beat to the punch machine mentally does the math that gives someone 53 so far, but she still winning the war.

Music fills the vehicle as a drive on. Unfortunately, Danny doesn't notice sometime later that Ellie produces another magazine from her backpack similar to the first one. The only difference is, this one focuses on women. Danny doesn't notice her hunched breath and red cheeks as she reads it.

Danny stops the truck to examine the highway in more detail before they carry on. A sign above reads Pittsburgh. He notices the road to the right is blocked with a wall-to-wall traffic jam. The only way clear is ahead. Looking behind, Danny notices the road is clear for miles. They could double back and find a way round, but this would take up a lot of time. Alternatively, they could continue through the obvious ambush someone had set up. Neither option seemed great and both could potentially waste a lot of time, but they were the only two viable choices.

…

Looking over he notices Ellie is asleep in the passenger seat, the magazine slumped on her. He shakes her shoulder in an attempt to wake her.

"Ellie wake up and get your stuff together"

…

Ellie didn't budge. Danny shook her again, but Ellie only stretches out, shifting the magazine. His curiosity gets the better of him and he looks at the inner contents and blushed for moment noticing a picture of fully naked woman.

Ellie's eyes suddenly open. She sees Danny looking at the magazine and quickly places it back in her bag, trying to desperately hide her discomfort. Danny has to chuckle at her embarrassment. He also notices how carefully Ellie placed the magazine in her bag, instead of tossing it like its predecessor. She composes herself.

…

"What's up?"

Danny points up ahead.

"The path in front of us is blocked. We have to cut through the city. You know an unknown city is always bad news."

Ellie knowingly shifts, automatically coming on edge her original party. She lost 4 people just cutting across the city off a main road just like this. You could be walking into anything, marauders to infected or even worst crazies."

Without further ado, Danny continues down the road. Eventually, they notice a man bent out, moving in agonized pain in the middle-of-the-road begging for help.

"Shall we help him?"

Danny shakes his head.

"He's not hurt, strap in and grab your bag."

With the click of Ellie's seatbelt Danny floors, it and drives straight at the man with the intent on running him over. The man quickly stands up straight and produces a gun. He starts shooting at them as several of his Associates in hiding start tossing God knows what at the car as they speed past.

"The hell with this Ellie cursed."

Instinctively, she looks over Danny and notices one of his gun's side holster under his arm. She quickly grabs the gun and aims straight out in front of her and starts firing rapidly. The first shot demolishes what is left of the windshield. It quickly cascades into pieces. The next three shots go straight into the man in the middle-of-the-road, who did not expect counter fire. Because of this he stumps back seriously injured. Danny continues sliding the vehicle back and forth as they drive, not noticing the blue mist coming from Ellie's mouth.

"Danny look out to the right."

Danny instinctively is on the gas and shifts the truck to the left. They suddenly see a Street car coming towards them down a steep hill. Instead, it clips the tail end of the truck, forcing the truck to go into a complete spinning circle. Danny quickly slams on the brakes and instinctively starts forcing the wheel to the right. His actions are partially successful. Instead of careening out of control into some debris truck, the truck slides sideways across the plaza, clipping the shutters of a store.

Danny's knocks against steering wheel from the force of the impact, but otherwise is fine. Ellie's side is facing the street and she can see a bus in the distance. It drops down the hill like a battering ram to finish this ambush off.

Crash.

Something smashes the window on Ellie's side. Another hit on her door. Ellie quickly undoes her seatbelt and realizes she has to cross to Danny's side to get out of the truck. The attack is coming from her side. Ellie pushes Danny back to get out of the truck. Ellie loses her footing and Danny is suddenly yanked away by one of the thugs. Ellie lands on her face. Before she can get back up, someone grabs her legs and drags her out of the truck.

"What the hell?" Danny squirms, realizing he is being held by two thugs who are pushing him to a broken freezer. Danny pivots and kicks the other thug in the face, knocking him in the glass. He quickly grabs his belt and brings up one of his new blades, ramming it straight behind him, luckily connecting with the thug's neck.

The man jumps back screaming and holding his wound. Danny quickly grabs the other man as he recovers and smashes his foot into the man's leg, then pivots and grabs his head, smashing him straight into the nearby wall ending him with a snap.

The thug eventually removed the knife and regains control and proceeds to attack Danny fourthly Danny brings up the pistol and empties a single shot into the thug's skull. Taking him out permanently

Danny quickly recovers and realizes he has to get Ellie. Danny's mind turns dark for moment. He follows the implications of what could be going on inside of the truck. He has a picture of her being forced to her knees, shirt torn open, thugs forcing her to service them before they take her.

Danny's head snaps back to reality and anger suddenly flows through his veins

A few minutes earlier with Ellie

Ellie finds herself struggling as she is yanked from the truck and held off the ground, with her arms behind her back. The worst is, only realize is the other thugs arm was clothing dripping on her chest.

She struggled in horror as she realized can feel his fingers caressing her skin. And noticed that was directly in front of her. Trying to subdue her legs. She suddenly feared what they are trying do with her pants or she hallucinating in panic.

She moves her legs crazily. She sees the two thugs in front of her.

All seems hopeless for Ellie and leg sweep and familiar feeling came from her foot. The force of the energy disk hit two thugs on to their ass in front of her and power from her other foot projected her and other foot thug holding her smashing into the roof and then crash back down before luckily losing his arms long enough, you shake her loose. Ellie quickly turns and smashes the left-hand straight into the thug those holding hers face. The bromide enough force automatically snap the man's head back. The man also quickly stumbles and falls to his knees completely out of it

The two thugs that witness what just happened back up, obvious fear overtaking their faces.

Ellie quickly slides into another round house and is happy to see the same result. It hits a thug square in the chest with such force that the said thug goes flying through the nearest wall with audible crack as the man slumped down, leaving a strain of blood behind him.

The last man reaches for his side arm and brings it up to shoot. Ellie quickly jumps on him, hitting him with a fury of punches. Ellie doesn't notice the slight green tinge around her hands as she hits him. After the first few volleys, the man's face collapses and is slowly disappearing.

When Ellie finally stops, the thug she is punching collapses to the floor with his head mostly carved out from the hits. The man on his knees. Ellie has coldcocked now collapses the floor, the sound of his head rolling off the other direction. Ellie doesn't realize that the force of her blow actually decapitates him.

Back with Danny. Jumping over the truck

He just sees the end of the guy Ellie is punching in the face collapse to the floor. She stands there, panting with her hands on her legs, obviously out of breath covered in sweat.

Five more reinforcements seem to be heading from the bus towards them. Acting on instinct, Danny grabs Ellie, pulling from the front of the store, hiding behind a pillar.

"What we do?" Ellie mentions out of breath.

Danny quickly rummages through his meagre supplies cursing. His backpack is still sitting in the truck's seat. Quickly without asking Danny grabs Ellie's backpack and tears it open, looking to see if she had anything they could use.

Luckily Danny finds the bottle of alcohol he'd given her back getting out of Mr. Lancer's trap right. In Danny's great rush he didn't notice anything else is in the bag like the block of C-4 or the P90

among other things

"Dammit, we need a rag or something," Danny says as he frantically searches.

Ellie finally catches her breath and regains her senses, understanding what Danny is doing. The thugs are dangerously close, only a few feet from the front of the store.

Ellie looks down and gets an idea. Grabbing the fabric of her shirt, she quickly tears up a sizable piece off her black shirt, giving Ellie quite a sizable bare midriff.

…

Danny understands what she is doing. He takes the fabric and dips it in the alcohol, making a very expensive Molotov cocktail ready to go at any given moment.

…

Danny ducks around the pillar and notices the five thugs are upon them. He tosses the expensive Molotov cocktail is happy with the results he hears. He quickly retreats to the truck, retrieving his backpack and rushes to their pursuers.

They find the street empty except for a few charred husks.

"Ellie search them and keep your eyes open for way out. We can't go back the way we came."

Ellie looks at her hands but carries out her task wondering if she was hallucinating what she just did.

Danny goes to retrieve his backpack and motions over to a shutter, they quickly open it and duck inside. Just heard some new voices behind them exploring the area.

"Ellie do not look at the table check the shelves."

Ellie shifts noticing what Danny was referring to and made a sad face at the few piles of bodies previous victims of the ambush.

"It's not important let's move on. I found some smoke bombs and a creepy list of what they salvaged from the victims."

Ellie forces herself to march on Danny behind her.

Danny felt kind of sad and shocked at how nonchalant. Ellie was talking about the other victims of this ambush he worried about her lack of empathy could be useful skill in this dangerous times, but could also be quite destructive making it unwilling to deal with people

Several minutes later.

To their right was a pool of water outside a hotel they had just observed a patrol of thugs marching into. A bridge is blocking the path in front of them, restricting their possibilities.

…

"I say we cut through the hotel and get to the other side," Danny mentions confidently.

"No, we just saw like 15 guys go in there and God knows how many others are roaming around. Also we would be boxed in. I say we cross-country. We climb up the side of the bridge and run down the street. I'm not expecting us to go across the street."

"But remember that vehicle, it's obviously the big dog here."

"Yes, exactly. So don't expect anyone to go directly into its path. We could zigzag straight up pass a hotel and a few other blocks."

Danny is disjointed with the two prospects in front of them fighting for box Canyon the hotel for going down the gauntlet over the bridge against the vehicle. Both sound bad in their own ways

but the road one if there caught by the vehicle they could be goners

"Danny face it on a patrol. They just went by high-speed odds are to be a few minutes. We just have to be off street and in cover before they come back around."

Danny would like to argue more but Ellie starts moving through the water to the bridge and testing the vines. Danny did find a moment of pride about how easily Ellie got to swimming even with backpack on and finds himself struggling to catch up to her.

35 min. later and Danny lifts Ellie onto a fire escape and quickly crosses to a connecting path leading ledge over a Plaza. They duck down as they hear the truck speed by.

"Wait."

Ellie reaches into a backpack and holds up a pair of small Fairfield binoculars which she uses to start scanning the Plaza.

Danny starts to seriously wonder what else she has stuck in that backpack. He discovered earlier that she had some iodine pills for purifying water as you boil it. Either way, he needs to know no more of her pulling a rabbit out of every so often.

"Look, there is one guard on the high ledge the right. Three in the café on the ground floor on the right to the Plaza and three at the very back center and one in the bank to the left."

"So I was thinking well okay, I got nothing."

Danny shrugs and feels a little uneasy that the pushy girl Ellie was at a loss.

Danny feels a little happy for moment they got one up on Ellie finally he points to the right of the ledge they have to be croaking on that happens to be a small body of a former guard beside him is a large hunting rifle of several clips of ammunition

Danny quickly places the rifle in Ellie's arm and walks through the procedure of using it, making only one shot just to reload after each one and is a throwback.

"Okay remember, only start shooting after we go loud. I will try to take as many as I can quietly. When you start shooting, make every shot count."

Ellie sits up with the rifle and motions that she's got this.

"Danny remember to the side abandoned car to the right is a fire ax, half way to the bank. I think it could be useful."

Danny quickly settles down from the ledge moves is way over quietly to the bank is almost halfway there when he remembers fire ax Ellie pointed out to him. He quickly sidesteps taken up

once in the bank Danny props the fire ax to distract the guard and as he bends down to pick it up. Danny jumps him and quickly beaten down

Danny quickly exits to the right and jumps the thug in the Plaza as he runs past, he axes him in the head and slides across to the left café.

Ellie is truly impress the next few moments as a wave of motion if Danny reaches the café and pulls the first song. From the window outside and finishes them. The jumps through the café and another one comes from the back he smashes them in the face of the fridge door to the freezer and then as the thugs were covering he just clips in the head with a fire ax. Without missing a beat. The last guard was coming down the stairs to investigate. Danny is him straight in the legs falling. Making the last guard crumble down the stairs hitting the ground hard twisting his head. Odd angle. Then Danny quickly recovers and moves upstairs

"Wow, that impressive."

Ellie would've considered more when she sees Danny jump from the upper path, bringing the ax down on one of the three and landing on another one, leaving one standing and freaking out.

Bang

Danny looks up as a third guard collapses. Danny quickly finishes other two.

Crash

The far shutter opens and six guards come running out. Two more come from the left to join them

you could hear almost the mutual crap from both Ellie and Danny when they realize his a few more guards they can account for curing their scouting of the area. Danny is quickly forced to retreat. Courtesy of the onslaught of guards, ironically ending up back where we started. We took out the garden when he crossed the Plaza to get the café

Bang, bang, kaboom, bang

Danny realizes that Ellie is going full tilt firing left and right.

Danny now stationed behind cover it's takes a peek and finds out that the explosion he just heard was one of the guards was trying to light up a Molotov cocktail which Ellie proceeded to set off

Danny smiles happily realizing she just barbecue a bunch of their pursuers using their own firepower

The man and a few others on fire.

"Ohm."

Danny should realize that in his haste a thug has snuck up behind them and cut through the bank get behind them. Danny quickly finds himself pulled up in a choke hold as he struggles another thug joins his associate to try to work him over. Luckily Danny the word. Bring up his legs he kicked the thug in front of him in the face. Unfortunately, the struggle is cost Danny valuable air and he start eyes blackened as he starts to lose consciousness

Crash

Danny finds himself pulled backwards hands double holding him away loosely. Danny jumps forward and punches the guy in front of him, not missing a beat.

Danny's fury of punches quickly takes down the guard in front of him. Then he picks up his fire ax

Danny forcefully brings the fire ax down on the man. He slumps backwards, a large gaping hole in his skull.

Danny pivots to use two pistols and empties a few more shots and then everything is quiet. Pacing around to check there aren't more, he finally signals for Ellie to join him. A moment later she is beside him, still holding a hunting rifle. Dany goes through the guards to see what he could salvage.

"You see that," Ellie mentions with enthusiasm.

Danny hates to admit it, but the girl is probably a better shot than him with a rifle, so he just turns his face away from her, not willing to let Ellie see the look on his face.

Danny quickly points out to Ellie default standard procedure checking the guards for valuables like weapons and food. He finds a small pistol on the guard in front of him in good condition and has five additional magazines he quickly gives the pistol Ellie take the rifle from her

"This is yours now, use it only when needed, and don't hold back with infected. But think first before use on human and try to make sure last resort before you do that Okay."

Ellie face hardens from being so spoken down, but she is also happy to be trusted with the gun.

"I'm not a kid, so don't tell me not to play around with it. I have like three other weapons already, you know."

"Ellie gun safety lecture, the standard procedure when you give someone a new gun. Especially young adult

You might be a really responsible young girl but I'm pretty much guess you probably met a few boys in your travels. Consider if they were given a gun. How that act?"

Ellie shifts back and forth looking at her feet knowing full well that some of the boy she met at the military boarding school had been on the end of the gun without being lectured. They were the first ones to go crazy.

She remembered once she jumped some idiot at the firing range with a crowbar after he got an ak-47 and started waving around like he was the King of the mountain. It nearly took Riley's head off with a straight shot and a few others as well. She also remembered when the stupid range master lecturing her attacking another boy student. First thing she learned was that the military boarding school was sexist as hell.

Girls always seem automatically responsible whenever there is mischief between boys and girls at school

"Danny know that I appreciated this. This is a kind of a small gun. If you're going to give me a gun, at least give me something capable of stopping power like desert Eagle or something. And really I noticed we have been getting much of anything from these guards even the one that the ambush."

"Most of the guards were carrying a hand weapons or crappy pistols. The gun you got is probably the best they have. These guys are really running lean, probably not expecting strong resistance. As for your gun it's your backup for when we will probably get you something bigger later. Right now you have the most ammunition of the both of us. One clip plus 7 spares each clip should give you around 12 shots 13 count the one in the chamber."

Ellie realizes the significance of the offer from Danny now and accepts both of their argument.

"Anyways, I noticed a workbench site three at the back in some parts to gasoline. The modified could do it now but I suggest we get the hell out here for more show up. The good news you found an exit. We can cut in to shutter."

Just as they start to move away, a man runs up to them, not realizing who they are and starts to say.

"They killed him. They killed everyone at the ambush. There were a couple of tourists, an older guy and a girl and-"

The runner suddenly realizes what's going on but before he can do anything his body falls back as several bullets enter him, courtesy of Ellie's new pistol.

Not missing a beat, they quickly run the shutter and lift it and sneak under then let it down quietly

masking their escape from any future pursuers

In the distance behind them there are shouts of other guards finding out about the fates of the former comrades.

45 min. later Ellie places along by Danny into a backroom enough the set of metal stairs reaching the landing he scans all notices locked apartment door. Danny quickly kicks it in and drags Ellie behind him, slammed the door and pushes a wardrobe across the door as a makeshift barricade.

Only window safely inside they catch their breath.

"You trying to kill me, Danny? You almost ripped my arm for my socket dragging me in here."

"It's better than you being roadkill or being a cut to ribbons by that many gun on that damn tank of theirs. Remember the other couple we saw."

Ellie shrinks back in horror at what they saw as they left Plaza and cut for building difficult across the street they saw another couple, a man a woman, running for the lives. Eventually their stamina gives out and he stumbles and a truck. It caught up to them from behind and guns them down. It has a very large mounted gun. Ellie feels sick to her stomach and wishes to puke at the thought of callousness the passengers. Check victims for valuables.

"I guess we know the plan now, and the ambush this and get you the patrols. They used to get rid of the affected secure the area and will drive victims straight into their vehicle the mounted gun."

"To what end?"

"Look at us. We barely made it into this building. If we kept running, we would have eventually grown tired. Humans can't outrun a car no matter how good we are in open the road."

Ellie realizes as she shook her head and looks down feeling low about herself. If Danny hadn't dragged her so fast, she might've not made it before took a bullet by now from that truck. Her face looks up mild hope saying but now.

"If we stick to the high ground, we'll get out here."

Ellie starts boasting to the fire escape Danny says no, pulling her towards one of the bedrooms and they find an open window.

After several minutes of high level tiptoeing on some window ledges they cross to another apartment and enter.

Danny finds himself being thrown back by the large African-American man attacking him. Ellie jumps forward swinging out her fists, hitting man directly in his got several solid blows, pushing him back.

Ellie gets kicked back by a mule kick. Danny jumps up and takes their place swinging.

"Stop. All of you were not your enemy." The young boy mentions, bringing up his pistol in a firing stance.

Unfortunately, Ellie's pistol out wasn't and she wasn't willing to take chances. Danny shifts then quickly grabs Ellie pistol, pointing it down. This action saves them from a tragedy single shot hit the floor, freaking out the two new companions.

"Well you hit hard so does the girl and she's a bit trigger-happy."

"We had some close calls on the way up here with our hosts."

"How do you know when not with them?"

The boy answers at the adduce himself.

"They don't keep kids around or girls for that matter and from what I've seen the girls they do keep don't want to be kept if you know of saying, I am Sam and this is my old brother, Henry."

If Ellie had to guess, Sam is 11 to 13 years old and slightly immature for his age due to his brother sheltering him. He's wearing muddy trousers with a T-shirt covered by a grimy bomber jacket. He has short black hair with black piercing eyes.

On the other hand, Ellie would gauge that's Henry is in his late 20s, with short black hair with piercing black eyes, wearing a grubby muscle shirt and trousers with matching boots. They both have the common traveler gear. I.e. a backpack. She would gauge his downfall is being way over protective of his brother and is unwilling to let his brother get his hands dirty. Ellie start calculating ways of dropping the two new allies like dead weight.

Ellie waves back to reality. Henry mentions to follow. They cut through the building, entering a small toyshop. They took cover as they heard truck go by. Sam looks at the toys forlornly, grabbing a small toy robot of off the floor. He begins to unzip his bag, with the intent of taking the toy. Henry stomps over and his eyes regard Sam sternly.

"Sam leave it, were not thieves we only take what we need!"

Sam shuffles awkwardly, reluctant to give the toy up.

"But my backpack is feeling empty. It won't take up that much space."

After a short stare off, Sam sighs. He shakes his head and puts down the robot toy.

Ellie shakes her head as she realizes she was right. Sam is still immature. Her thoughts are interrupted when Danny points out something to her. She herself is standing in front of a toy display.

"Rollerblades. They are popular girls your age. Not really functional now not enough level services to make them work."

Danny mentions as Ellie unknowingly has already picked up a pair started examining purple and red.

"I wonder if they have size nine ½ girls."

"Come on, it's clear." Henry beckons the door to the back.

Ellie quickly takes out a knife, finds a pair that much her feet and quickly pop assuming a backpack and notices the robot and Sam was looking at grabs it as well. Dammit, Ellie thought, I'm running low on space. I have to do inventory soon, maybe even figure out what to drop.

As she enters the back alley, Ellie see another blue breath of her mouth. Danny recognizes it this time and pulls them back. Using Ellie's binoculars, they notice several guards.

"What's the play? We can sneak by them. Right?"

"We take them out."

Ellie nods, knowing full well how to proceed from here we ambush them they quickly devise the plan made her Danny will take the lead

"Henry and I will go up high. I'll hang out the window and take out the upper guards. Danny and Sam will I sneak up and take down 4 on the bottom."

A moment later, Danny creeps out and hides behind a box, waiting for the guard. He quickly had Sam the fire ax. The motions for him hit the guard in the legs bring it down and then use the fire ax on his face then Sam to quickly launch alone. The other guard comes investigate sneak up behind them and introduce the fire ax to his back

Meanwhile with Ellie and Henry at the window getting into position.

"Now, I would hang up this window. You hold me around the waist. See the upper ledge on the fire escape there is one guard with the rifle to pick us off if we don't take them out first. And two more pacing of the upper roof."

Ellie takes three arrows and brings them to her mouth.

She takes one a places it in her bow. Henry lowers her out of the window, hanging her upside down by her legs. Henry frantically grabs at her thighs to keep her steady, which surprisingly goes off without a hitch. The first two shots hit the mark. The guard with the rifle and one of his compatriots are put down for the count. The third one starts to react, when Ellie pulls the final arrow from her mouth. She is set up the fire when she realizes she is slipping, Henry struggling to keep hold of her.

"Dammit Henry. I said by the waist, not the pants."

Just as Ellie gets the shot off, her makeshift belt on her khaki pants gives way and she slides out of them, down the awning and towards the street below.

bang

Danny quickly fires the shotgun at the other guards coming to investigate.

By the count should only be one guard left that Sam should be on it Danny has a bad feeling quickly heads over to assist Sam. The upside Sam had managed to take out the first guard. Unfortunately, the last guard is almost upon him

Danny realizes this is why the guard was able to jump on him. Sam has screwed up royally. In panic. Sam tosses the fire ax at the last guard approaching him and misses. Danny frantically rushes over to assist.

Sam starts to scurry back on his hands and knees away from the approaching guard in fear.

Crash

Danny almost jumps back in horror. Ellie slides down across to them on a second-floor window she's hanging out of and lands directly on top of Sam. Great surprise. Ellie quickly sits up front of her bow and empties around into investing guard and then tries to get up.

With last of guards dispatched Danny and Henry make the way Sam and Ellie makeshift all right.

Ellie now sitting up is frantically trying to get off. Sam. Henry and Danny have to hold back the chuckles of the now exposed Ellie in her underwear sees the giving a face full the poor Sam. Eventually, the two teenagers sort themselves out

After several moments later, the now embarrassed and slightly annoyed to borderline angry Ellie pulls on her khaki shorts again and marches off.

A few moments later they arrive at the climbing up some buildings crossing a few corridors Henry unlocks the office with the key he required and then lets them in.

"It's good to know that you cut the numbers but given that used to be a quarantines zone. We have no clue how many were here. After this place fell apart. You know. Does good to cut the numbers but don't go your way to do it. You know."

Danny nods in understanding at Henry. There are several notes on the board in the conference room. At one point there was probably was a meeting here: oversupply numbers for the group to dealing with.

"Get some sleep. We can cross the checkpoint and get out at night."

Danny is a sack out. He notices that Ellie and Sam are sitting side-by-side, eating some blueberries Henry had given them and laughing. Glad to know that Ellie could forgive earlier misunderstanding.

He knows from experience with some high strung young women that they would easily go for the jugular in similar situations. The beloved Sam and Valerie are two women that came to mind in that regards.

nightfall sometime later

Ellie sits alone at the conference table frantically inventorying her bloody backpack.

"Okay, side pockets inventoried two packets of water proficient pills, one sharpening stone. One compass one paradigm binoculars. One package birth-control/morning-after pill to boxes of condoms still can't believe her mother insisted she packed those. A small sewing kit and the small surgical kit one glow sticks as she calls it for marking portals of the collapsed check."

Ellie shifts all those back side pockets now doing with the main part of the bag.

"5 comic books, one adult sexy girl porn magazine. Some blasting wire, handful the blasting clips, a brick C4. One P90 lacking one component being operational. Two clips of P90 ammo. One toy robot one pair rollerblades."

Ellie looks over the collected items realizes those was causing the problem is her backpack wise.

"Now, looking over the clothing, one bikini one solid bathing suit, one, to small blue jeans, two pairs of khaki shorts, 4 T-shirts, one hoodie. Three pairs of panties and thanks to Lancer forced shopping spree five bras. And finally, one very sexy lingerie. And for some reason I she has guard belt and two sets of sexy stockings."

Ellie stick her head wondering about her conviction here. Henry just demolished the last belt. She's not even the slightest bit angry. On the other hand, when she lost the last pair of leggings and checkered skirt she practically had a giant temper tantrum. But now she's eerily calm. Is this maturity or just her accepting the reality of the situation? Her clothing was expendable her life and her associate lives are not

"Without a belt someone have to worry about shorts and pants be too loose with a stick myself that damn blue jeans for now on" Ellie screeches to the room after several shifting Ellie was a program the clothing back in bring the least functional items to the bottom gaining some valuable space. She also can gain some space if Ellie chooses to hang the rollerblades on the outside and not in that backpack.

Now for the main event. She opens the back of the large pockets of her backpack, reaching under the flap. She finds a zipper and opens it, revealing a secret pocket. Inside there was a map of the country and a small book titled introduction to supernatural powers, in particular ghost powers, written by Jazz Fenton along with a small leather bound book. Tucked beside them was a small leather satchel.

First off. Ellie scans the ghost book and thinks the gods mother gave her this book way back when

especially the fear of her powers might be returning putting the book back away. She marks of information on the map then place them back in the hidden pocket and goes to the other book in the satchel

"Okay. Ellie come with more confirmation do you need the affected dimensional portals seem to be linked. The collapsing the portals seems to reset the infected but how is this possible? What do ghosts and the infected have in common?"

Ellie goes over the list of information. Most of the information points to the same place to investigate. Next Amity Park that her sister Iris went. The only other clue they had this information on the guys in white. Unfortunately, last information she had no main headquarters in all the personnel went up the flaming fireball, when everything went to hell. Five years ago

so said this focused on her parts in the little bag which of the parts of various satellite phones

she had the parts from the guys in white phone and also the satellite phone. She acquired a Mr. Lancer's which no one seemed to notice at the time

"This has to work."

Ellie quickly flips the page notebook, which mentions a contact information, and GPS numbers. It lists her mother herself Iris Jazz, and lastly, someone by the name of Valerie and now the guys in white frequency.

Ellie face. It looks hopeful realizing the phone she is working on his temperately working just picking up a signal

"Our first priority must be food production and defense was still researching the cause of the outbreak or never have long-term security nothing is really changed just a level of supplies and-"

The phone goes dead after a small burst of signal. Ellie is filled with hope she knows the voice of her aunt anywhere. It also means that lease which heard about California is mostly true. She has to try to contact them. Even if it's a long shot

"Rising star and Anaconda it's me, the lost Princess I found the red night and the Phantom and Iris is all right as well. Progress is slow to get it done. Don't worry will return soon, love Ellie."

The phone goes dead again. It's obviously broken Ellie looks back with sadness. Realizing she has long shot at best. The chances of signal crossing the country or even all the way to Paris is slim to none.

"What you doing? We need to go soon!"

Ellie is shaken realizing she been caught by Danny. She quickly recovers, deciding to go with half-truths.

"Trying to repair my satellite phone, the satellite orbit still out there if you get the device connect to them being in a bird's eye view of everything. Hell, if you backhanded some of the other satellites using gets a bird's eye view over everything is, like Raiders and infected"

"So what's the problem?"

Danny asks with great interest as he sat down beside Ellie at the conference table.

"Mine got broke a while back so I'm salvaging parts, by my reckoning. The problem with communication is because no one manning the equipment. You think every satellite. Cell phone tower and TV station just stopped broadcasting. Equipment is all still there. No one running it, so you can power on and use it."

Danny shrugs, realizing if it was that easy to get steady communication, someone would've done it by now. There is probably more to it.

"The other option is most the collapse of people panicked. What I've seen someone turned on a mesh network. If the type of military jamming use in war zones secure your communications take out the others. It also has the added benefit if you listen to the network to allow it causes feedback to damage your equipment. For one I reckon someone either in a panic, or try to control thing sure initial outbreak turned it on and never got back to turning off of. Most of the country. The other side if someone's doing it on purpose."

Danny nods, understanding know exactly what that meant, communications, except your own people like the military fascist regime and you could take over. You could run the chaos for years use that to break people and bring them onside. Talk about long-term dictator plans. This is such a Vlad idea that Danny's thinking of his old arch nemesis. Danny can only hope that the situation was caused by incompetence and not a grander scheme. Danny waves away this unsettling thought and focuses back to the task at hand.

"So how does you get around this?"

"Simple once we get the encryption key. We can walk right in and listen to the whole damn thing. Even when own communications without any issue. Which is one of think of building one by combining multiple phones to get an upgraded working phone. So I am MacGyver something more. I just need to find a military chip and I'm done."

"I'll keep an eye out for one. But don't take any essay risks. You understand to end up dead because you're trying to get this together."

Ellie quickly finishes packing up. Luckily Danny did not notice as he goes to wake the other two. As Ellie quickly hit away her other pieces of cargo.

After some eventful minutes of traveling and find themselves an old lobby with two former guards straight out on the floor after Danny and Henry took care of them. Other side of the lobby is reinforced tempered glass that has done remarkably well. The still be intact after all this time.

"So what's the plan?" Ellie inquires nervously.

"You see, once you go out the door. We cross the street and then head up basically with regard house above it is a Searchlight was referred back checkpoint were home free to the bridge."

"It is that easy Henry how come you haven't done it?"

Danny shrugs and looks at Ellie's obvious question the Henry wasn't playing straight with them it is probably something more to this

"Simple. The light is patrolling and is like 10 guards. Which, around half of what they have during daylight hours. It's obvious we take out the light and neutralize the guards before we can cross"

"It's obvious they tried before and failed, but seeing our skills. We think we can pull it off right."

Again, Danny shrugs for moment and considers the situation. He feels they still have no choice. This is the best bet of getting out of the situation.

"Okay I'll go out the door sneaked up on the kind of light. Booby-trap on the door. Here the when the trip and though get hurt somehow. Then you guys can." Danny trails off not sure how to complete the plan. Luckily Ellie finishes off for him.

Ellie riffles through a bag and finds something to help her great-grandmother's diamond ring should be a will make short work of the tempered glass on the far side of the lobby. Giving the team a second exit

Crossing the lobby, Ellie uses the ring across the class and repeats several times. Eventually the moment of truth comes when she pushes the panel and luckily it gives way.

"Okay me, Sam and Henry sneak out from here and set up an ambush for when the guards come. We want them to go back the way Danny came to the lobby and we get them from behind."

Moments later, as Danny's sneaking down and finishes off the patrolling guard Ellie is fine. He pulls Henry through the hole she created and make their way the guard tower. Henry is in the shadow of Sam and Ellie climbs the tower and waits.

Click

As the lights go down and Danny runs off back to the bank like a gazelle on steroids with luckily diving past tripwires and making way Ellie's secret exit, and barely makes it through.

boom

Four guards go flying as the trip wire goes off, eyes filled with shock. Ellie quickly pushes one off the tower and quickly finishes another with her knife, and Sam hid behind a box. Totally useless

The next few moments are a blur. The guards that weren't killed by the ambush double back and find themselves being attacked by their own guard tower and Danny hitting of the side with Henry joining him.

A few moves later they work for the gate and end up in a small alley there was a truck across the way making a barricade and down shudder to the right.

"Okay that happened. So just over the truck and were done."

Ellie instinctively tries to shatter a window and finds it can be opened as Danny help Sam and Henry on to the truck then motions for Ellie do the same on a half louder. Just as Danny almost gets up the ladder broke trapping Danny in the alley.

The group which is now frantically trying to help Danny up. Unfortunately, their time is up as the Humvee. Is starting to force its way through the back gate to get to them. Once it's through. There are as good as dead

"Sorry, we got to go. You'll make it alright."

Ellie seeing with both the happened next side she has to take action getting behind. Sam she waits until he reaches for Danny one more little time and she gives them a slight push. Her plan works and all observers, it looks like Sam overextended himself and fell off the truck. Landing on Danny

unfortunately, Danny realize what Ellie has done. Thankfully Henry was still clueless

"I'm sorry I fell down, my bad" Sam said apologetically.

"Plan B I guess" Ellie mentions as she jumps down to join them reluctantly Henry joins her soon after.

bang bang bang

"Man that was close. It's get through that gate and we are dead."

Danny and Henry quickly left the shutter in motion Ellie and Sam get underneath

Ellie quickly undoes her boots. Giving them the Sam the hold and wears the rollerblades using

her knife. She quickly cuts small chunk c4 she places blasting pin and a primer wire. From her backpack Lastly, gives one and of the wire to Sam and mentions when he gets the other side the shutter to light it.

Crash

Another couple punches and the Humvee will be on them.

Ellie quickly rockets away zigzagging left and right on her rollerblades. They try to bring the gun down on her eventually after doing the double somersaults she lands right on engine block of the Humvee and attaches her new explosive charge.

As she races back, she notices the wire. Burning down to her charge, at the last moment. She ducks aside and slides right under the shutter and Danny and Henry drop it them know exactly what going happened the grabs Sam and Ellie and take cover.

Ki-boom follow a minute later by several other loud explosions then silence the wall the shutter is peppered with shots from the minimums and then a large piece of debris smashes into it. Twisting the metal but luckily it still holds.

"That was intense, who knew they had some guards of the other side the gate, luckily it was three guys and they really were phoning it in."

"The plan worked out so well. How come running along the bridge and them chasing us."

"Vengeance, we just trashed the big dog and a barricade, drawn every infected in the town. There away at this point its matter of principle for them for sure or anchor stupidity."

Behind them they notice the checkpoint is now a flaming fireball rising in the sky as the Humvee burns. The explosion triggers a chain reaction with the generators and the equipment at the checkpoint sends it all up.

"Guys, we are doomed, before you ask yes we been halfway across the bridge. Unfortunately, there is massive hole in the way."

The trio stops and notices the center the bridge had been blasted away from various explosions and other disasters. They could probably get past if they climbed on the girders and work through 100+ guys chasing him they don't have time to work through.

"Simple. We jump. I Admits Danny. Those swimming lessons. You made me take about the payoff big time"

With that Ellie jumps following straight into the water. Danny. Screaming oh crap in his head quickly follows her realizing they haven't covered diving yet and given the speed of that's River is no way Ellie would have the skills to manage it not having any choice. Henry and Sam were forced to do the same leaving the would-be pursuers in the dust.

Hundred plus Raiders reach the end of the bridge and scream in anger at Danny and company gone the way. Their leader Lance got on his radio and messages the suburb squad and orders remaining parties their way. Except for the ones trying to salvage some the two valuables within the letting go.

After we finished his orders. He turns to his men, motioning them to leave and realizing he was now alone and his men are now piled bodies around him.

The last thing he saw was a woman in red armor and several soldiers behind her finishing off any stragglers. He only had time to blink before the red armored woman brought up Blade up to his neck and removes his head, ending his life.


End file.
